Like Old Times
by October Ashes
Summary: Shawn suffers a severe concussion at Unforgiven and thinks D-Generation X is still together. Will Triple H team up with HBK once again to reform one of the greatest tag teams in WWE history? How will the WWE universe react to Shawn's amnesia?
1. Amnesia

Like Old Times

Summary: Triple H and Shawn Michaels were always good friends. They funded D-Generation X in 1997 along with Chyna and they made a great tag team that would do the unthinkable. Shawn had to leave the WWE for 4 years due to a back injury, but he returned in 2002. He thought it would be like old times with Triple H, but he was wrong. They started the most storied rivalry in WWE history. Shawn suffers a serious concussion and thinks D-Generation X is still together. Will Triple H team up with HBK once again to form a great tag team? How will the rest of the WWE re-act to Shawn's amnesia? Sorry for the long summary

Main characters: Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Randy Orton, Dave Batista, Ric Flair, Christian, Tyson Tomko and Vince McMahon.  
Other characters: Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Kane, Eric Bischoff, Eugene, William Regal, and Chris Benoit.  
Plus the surprise return(s) of... GUESS WHO!

Side Note: This match was made by Eric Bischoff following the return of Shawn Michaels. Shawn was put on the shelf for about 3 months regarding the attack by Kane with the steel chair.

Unforgiven, 9/12/04

Shawn Michaels vs. Kane

No Holds Barred

As usual, Shawn danced his way down to the ring during his match with Kane, who was awaiting him in the ring. He tried to be patient, but he couldn't stand the way Shawn took his time dancing while they had a match to start. But Kane remembered the stage manager telling Shawn to take his time while heading to the ring, mostly because the previous match ended a few minutes early. Kane looked at the referee for the match and smirked. Charles Robinson. Same guy Kane kicked in the face the previous year during his Last Man Standing match with Shane McMahon. The match that Shane attempted an elbow drop from the top of the TitanTron... Kane moved just in time, making the 33 year old McMahon go through the floor. Shane lost the match and was rushed to the hospital. _Aaaaah, I love my accomplishments in this company._

Shawn got into the ring and took off his vest and his assless chaps. He looked at Kane in such a serious way, a look Charles Robinson had never seen before. The match started, and it was like when Shawn wrestled against Kevin Nash back in 1996. He was 'Big Daddy Cool' Diesel then. Shawn figured it was sort of alike. Kevin was close to being 7 feet tall, and Kane is 7 feet tall. Either way, they both tower over Shawn, who is 6 foot 1.

Kane threw Shawn around like a doll. They battled outside the ring, and for some strange reason, Kane was constantly toying with Shawn's head. Kane threw Shawn into the ring post several times, and banged his head onto the steel steps. Kane then got a ladder and used it several times. Shawn saw an opening when Kane picked up the ladder. Using all the strength and energy he could muster, Shawn dropkicked the ladder into Kane's face. Kane fell to the ground, and it was now Shawn's turn to take control of the match. He used several weapons on Kane, including a steel chair, a table, a fire extinguisher, a sledge hammer, and a garbage can.

Shawn thought he had total control of the match when Kane sat up like nothing ever happened. Kane tombstoned Shawn onto a chair, and that busted Shawn open. Kane got out of the ring and got the steel steps. He picked up a weak Shawn Michaels and tombstoned him onto them. Kane went for the cover, and to his surprise, Shawn kicked out.

* * *

Backstage, Triple H was cheering on Shawn Michaels. "Yes! Come on, Shawn! Get up!" He shouted to the monitor. He knew there was something wrong with Shawn, but he couldn't point it out. He saw the dazed look in Shawn's eyes and the blood covering his face and dripping down his chest. Ric Flair came to Triple H's side and started watching the match along with him. "There's something wrong with Shawn, Hunter. I don't think it's a good thing, either. We better tell Eric to stop the match." Ric told Triple H, who both got up and set out in search for Eric Bischoff.

* * *

In the ring, Kane was standing over Shawn Michaels. Kane knew by the way they rehearsed it earlier that Shawn was supposed to get up, do the finisher and win, but he didn't move from his spot on the mat. Kane turned around and started taunting the crowd. Shawn tried to get up, and he did. Kane turned around and Shawn gave him a weak Sweet Chin Music. Kane remembered he had to lose the match, so he ignored the fact he wasn't feeling tired, and he let Shawn win the match.

Charles Robinson helped Shawn up after he won, but Shawn put a hand on his head and collapsed. He was too weak to fight unconsciousness, so he let the darkness take him. Before he passed out, he muttered one word only the referee barely heard, "Hunter..." Charles looked down at Shawn and called for help. EMT's rushed to the ring and rushed Shawn to a hospital.

* * *

After Unforgiven

Shawn was repeating nothing but 'Hunter,' which was Triple H's name. Shawn confused the doctors, mostly because everybody in the WWE referred to Triple H as 'Paul.' The doctors called Vince McMahon, who rushed to the hospital with Triple H at his side. Vince looked at Shawn. "Shawn? Shawn? Are you ok? Shawn? Can you understand me? It's Vince." He asked, but Shawn answered him with one word. "Hunter..."

Triple H realized his onetime best friend was asking for him. "Shawn, it's me. It's Hunter. I'm right here. Open your eyes and look at me, will you?" Triple H told Shawn, who opened his eyes like a kid waking up on Christmas Day. "Hunter!" Shawn screamed with pure joy and hugged Triple H. Triple H looked at Vince with a look of pure confusion on his face. Vince shrugged his shoulders and asked the doctors what exactly was wrong with Shawn. "Severe concussion. And when I say severe, I mean severe." A doctor replied. "Well, thanks for being truthful..." Vince muttered as he walked out of the room.

Triple H wondered how long Shawn was going to hug him. It seemed never ending. At the right time, Triple H decided to hug Shawn back. "I can't wait to get out there tomorrow night! Weren't we going to have the barbeque in the ring? Or were we going to hold up signs making fun of Vince and stuff like that? Where's Rick? Have you seen Chyna? Oh! Were we going to fake the wedding ceremony like I wanted to do?!" Shawn asked Triple H, who was extremely confused by Shawn's questions.

"Shawn? What are you talking about?" Triple H asked. He figured Shawn was faking with him. He thought he heard a doctor telling Vince that Shawn had a severe concussion. If Shawn answered the next question with the answer Triple H was looking for, then he knew it was true. "What do you mean, Hunter? I'm talking about D-Generation X! Weren't we planning to do something weird on Raw? I thought Vince told me we were going to mock a wedding..." Shawn told Triple H as Vince re-entered the room.

"Uh, yeah. Shawn, we were going to do that... Uh... Tomorrow... Yeah... Good idea... Hunter, I need to talk to you..." Vince stated as he and Triple H left the room.

"Vince, he's acting like D-X is still together!" Triple H shouted. "Yes, I know. I've always wanted to bring D-X back and now this is the perfect time to do it. Ok, tomorrow night on Raw, I want you to call Shawn out to the ring. This time, wear an Evolution shirt over your D-X shirt. Tell Shawn to wear one of his HBK shirts over a D-X shirt," Vince paused for a moment and looked at the ceiling. "Please let him know what a HBK shirt is..," He muttered, then looked back at his son in law. "Tell the fans about Evolution and that you want Shawn to join. Then say something that only D-X would say, cue the music, tear your shirts so your D-X shirts are showing, do the fireworks and hug. Got it?" Vince asked as Triple H nodded his head.

* * *

**A/N: Isn't it kind of weird that nobody really liked D-Generation X but people now want them back? Humph. It confuses me, if you ask. I hope maybe one day Vince will come to his senses and bring back D-Generation X. Just Triple H and Shawn Michaels. I thought X-Pac, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn were over kill. Not so much Road Dogg, though. I thought Shawn Michaels always brought out the best of Triple H. Hopefully we will see D-Generation X again. Peace out and enjoy. - Dylan**

**Edit: I guess the cats out of the bag… First off, my name isn't 'Dylan,' it was just a nickname I had for a little while. Secondly, much like my other D-X fanfiction, Dark Reflections, this fanfic is going to undergo some editing. Since I'm a college student now, I look back on my old fanfics and cry… The grammar is really bad!  
Anyway, once I'm done editing Like Old Times, which shouldn't take too long, I'm going to re-write When Will It End and Stanley McMahon. **


	2. Rebirth of DGeneration X

Like Old Times

Raw 9/13/04

"Shawn did you hear what I said? I said a HBK shirt over your D-X shirt! Not a KB Toys shirt! UGH!" Triple H shouted to Shawn Michaels, who stood there confused. "A what? What's an 'HBK'?" Shawn asked Triple H, who smacked his head. Triple H was feeling lucky he came prepared. He turned around and looked in his gym bag. He pulled out a HBK shirt which read _'All Things Are Possible...'_ He handed it to Shawn, who looked at it with a very confused face on.

"'HBK' is your nickname. It means 'Heartbreak Kid.' This is one of your shirts. Take the KB Toys shirt off and put this one on. Please, Shawn, work with me... You're driving me insane..." Triple H pleaded. Shawn took off the KB Toys shirt and put on the HBK shirt. He looked at Triple H with a devious smile. "Hunter, I know my nickname. I was joking with you." Shawn told Triple H, who nodded his head and gave Shawn a stern look.

"Now, I'm gonna go out there first. I'll say some stuff and then I'm gonna call you out. I showed you how you dance, right," Triple H looked down at Shawn to see him nod his head yes. "Ok, you dance down that way. When I wink at you, tear your HBK shirt and signal the 'X' fireworks. Then we'll hug and stuff like that." Triple H stated. "I know how to do my own dance and I got the dang picture! Come on, let's go!" Shawn shouted and the old friends were once again walking down the hall together ready to shock the fans.

Triple H came out to Evolution's song. He got into the ring, showing his Evolution colors. He took a mic and tried not to laugh or smile. "Remember I told you fans that Evolution was looking for a new member? Well, I don't think you guys would remember because you fans are too stupid to remember anything. Well, I said that Evolution needed a new member and I think I found one. Let me remind you what Evolution is. Evolution is the diamond of this business. We have the best of the past, the best of the present and the best of the future. I believe I found another superstar who will represent both the best of the past and the present. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Shawn Michaels!" Triple H shouted.

Shawn figured that was his cue, and he came out and danced the way he always did. Triple H was pleased that Shawn was dancing down to the ring the same was he always did, but little did he know that Shawn remembered the dance, the taunt, his special, his nickname and all there was to know about D-Generation X. Shawn got into the ring and got a mic from Lillian Garcia, then stood in front of Triple H.

"Hey Shawn. Long time no see. I haven't faced you in the ring since Kane destroyed you in June. I wanted you to come out here so we could talk about something. I'm sure you know about the group I have called Evolution. In the group are Randy Orton, Ric Flair, Batista and myself. Evolution's members are the best in this business. I want you to join, Shawn. What do you say?" Triple H asked. "I know what Evolution is. What do you think I am? Stupid? You know, Hunter... You and I used to be best friends... What ever happened?" Shawn asked.

"If you join Evolution, it'll be another chance for us to be friends again, Shawn. Come on, you know you want to. What do you say, Shawn?" Triple H asked. "I thought you hate me. And plus, the Heartbreak Kid doesn't appreciate you treating me like dirt! I should teach you a lesson in this ring right now!" Shawn replied. Triple H turned to the crowd. Everyone had their eyes peeled on Triple H and Shawn Michaels that nobody realized two members of the ring crew were setting up fireworks on the mat.

"I don't hate you anymore. Now are you ready?!" Triple H shouted and looked at Shawn. "Let's get ready to suck it!" Shawn shouted, as both men tore their shirts so their D-X shirts were showing. They stood next to each other and did the crotch chop, which cued the fireworks, which cued the music. The fans were going insane as Triple H and Shawn hugged.

Shawn and Triple H headed backstage to superstars going wild. They were all congratulating them on the very much anticipated return of D-Generation X. They headed to their new locker room, which read 'D-Generation X' on the door. "That was the best thing that ever happened to me." Triple H stated. Shawn chuckled. "So, what crazy act are we going to do tonight? We already have the fans buzzing with D-X back. We need to come up with something before the show ends." Shawn told Triple H, who nodded his head in agreement.

Eric Bischoff came storming into the D-X locker room. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Triple H?! I thought you and I had a deal. And, Shawn," Eric looked at Shawn and saw a look in his face he never saw before. "There is something seriously wrong with you. How could you team up with Triple H to form D-Generation X all over again?!" Eric screamed. "Eric, I need to talk to you outside. Right now. Shawn, stay here I'll be right back." Triple H stated and took Eric outside the locker room and shut the door.

"Eric, what the hell are you doing?!" Triple H shouted at Eric. "I'm trying to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your career! Well, one of the biggest. Don't do this. Don't team up with Shawn Michaels... Who the hell likes him, anyway?" Eric asked Triple H.

"I DO! Now you listen to me, Eric... Do you remember last night at Unforgiven when Ric and I came into your office? We tried to tell you there was something wrong with Shawn and you needed to stop the match? Do you remember what you said? You said there was nothing wrong with Shawn and that Naitch and I were imagining things! Turns out Shawn collapses after the match! Do you know what was wrong with him?! He suffered a severe concussion! Something you never felt in your life! He's suffering from amnesia! Vince and I went to visit him last night and he thought D-X was still together, so Vince brought it back!" Triple H screamed with nothing in his eyes but fury.

"I'm sorry... Hunter... I didn't know... I swear... I'll be nice... I promise..." Eric slowly stated. He was frightened by the way Triple H was yelling at him. He never knew or understood the friendship between Shawn Michaels and Triple H. "Now, I'm going to walk back into my locker room, and you are going to waddle your ass back to your office. This speech _never_ happened. Now go." Triple H screamed, making Eric run for his life.

Triple H turned around and went back into his locker room. He saw Shawn holding the thongs that he and Triple H wore during the D-Generation X 'Christmas present' in 1997. Triple H's jaw dropped to the ground. "Where the hell did you get those, Shawn?!" Triple H shouted. Shawn looked at him calmly. "I found them in your gym bag," Shawn stated as fans in attendance started laughing. "Why do you have mine?" Shawn asked. Triple H snatched his thong out of Shawn's hands in embarrassment.

"I thought you would want to have yours back," Triple H heard fans laughing as he looked at Shawn's shorts. "I HATE THOSE SHORTS!!!" Triple H shouted and pointed to Shawn's shorts. Surprise! It was the short, tight, black pair of biker shorts Shawn used to wear. Shawn chuckled. "I just figured you would want to see them. By the way, where's Ravishing?" Shawn asked, making Triple H look around uncomfortably.

"Ravishing? Oh... Um... Listen, Shawn you really don't want to go there..." Triple H tried to explain but Shawn cut him off. "I said 'where is Ravishing'?" Shawn asked, now more in vain. Triple H fumbled with his thong in his hands and threw it into his gym bag. In his gym bag, he spotted Shawn's favorite candy, Twizzlers, and thought he could change the whole conversation.

"Shawn! Look what I got!" Triple H shouted and ran over to his bag. He pulled out the Twizzlers and showed them to Shawn, who stared at them. He tried to grab the bag, but Triple H stretched out his arm so the bag of Twizzlers was high in the air. "Gimmie! Gimme! Gimme!" Shawn shouted like a child. He jumped up and down trying to grab the bag, but he couldn't.

Triple H raised an eyebrow at Shawn. "Hey, buddy… Why are you so damn obsessed with these things," He asked. Shawn stopped jumping and put a hand to his chin in thought. "I have no idea whatsoever… But that doesn't stop me from wanting them!" Shawn shouted and punched Triple H in the gut, making him drop the bag on Shawn's head.

Shawn grabbed the bag and ripped it open. "Thanks Hunter," He shouted as he threw Twizzlers in his mouth. He stuck 2 Twizzlers up his nose and 2 in his hair so they looked like antennas. Triple H giggled at his best friend, then turned around and rolled his eyes, slightly in shock at Shawn's behavior. _Great, on top of him thinking D-X is still together, he's going to be on a sugar high for the rest of the night…_ He turned back around to look at Shawn, and then tried to grab a Twizzler, but Shawn bit his hand. "OW!" Triple H yelled. "My Twizzlers!" Shawn shouted and hugged the bag.

"Please, Shawn?" Triple H asked. Shawn decided to share the bag with Triple H, who smiled his thanks. Shawn once again put a hand to his chin, as if trying to remember something. The look made Triple H stop munching on a Twizzler to look at Shawn. "Didn't I shove one of these up that huge honker of yours?" Shawn asked, making Triple H narrow his eyes angrily and think about it. He looked at the Twizzler in his hand, and then at Shawn. He growled at Shawn and rolled his eyes, then continued eating the Twizzler.

Once the camera was off Triple H and Shawn Michaels, they got out a deck of cards. "Ask Vince if we could play strip poker ringside," Shawn told Triple H, who nodded his head no. "Either that or I'll stick gauge pads down my shorts and start dancing in the ring again!" Shawn shouted. "ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Triple H shouted, and then ran out of the room to search for Vince.

Triple H was walking through the halls as he heard voices coming from a locker room around the corner. He identified them as Christian and Tyson Tomko. "This is bad... Really bad... D-Generation X is back together... Is this the welcome back that I get? Tyson... Go find either Shawn Michaels or Triple H and do something about it..." Christian told Tyson Tomko, making him leave the room in search of the D-X locker room. Triple H turned around and ran back to Shawn, who was unaware of Tyson's orders.

Triple H ran as fast as he could, and in his mind he pictured Shawn lying on the ground in a bloody heap begging for Triple H to help or for Tyson to stop. Triple H couldn't bear the image any longer, so he shook it off and ran completely into a wall. "Since when was that there," Triple H asked as he stood up and continued to the D-X locker room.

This was a race and Tyson Tomko was in the lead. Triple H wasn't so far behind, but Tyson was about 7 feet from the D-X locker room. Triple H turned the corner to hear thrashing and screaming. The screaming was pleas for help. He saw the D-X locker room door on the ground; obviously it was torn from the hinges. "SECURITY!" Triple H shouted as he entered the locker room and yanked Tyson Tomko off of Shawn.

Officials, some superstars and security guards came in to see what was going on. Once Triple H saw Shawn was knocked out, he jumped onto Tyson Tomko and started beating him up. Cameramen were already in the room taping when Tyson came in and started beating Shawn up. The officials and the security guards had a hard time separating Triple H and Tyson, but they eventually got it done with the help of about 5 superstars.

There were 3 superstars holding back Tyson Tomko, along with some officials. Vince McMahon ran into the room. He obviously heard the thrashing and screaming from where he was in the arena. "Get him out of here, now," Vince screamed as the superstars and officials dragged Tyson out of the locker room. Triple H was being held back by Randy Orton and Dave Batista, 2 members of Evolution.

The image that Triple H pictured in his mind came true. Shawn was on the floor, knocked unconscious and busted wide open. "Let him go." Vince instructed Randy and Batista. They let go of Triple H and he dropped to the floor and crawled over to Shawn.

"Hunter... Help..." Shawn spat out. Triple H sat next to him and pulled Shawn into his lap. "I'm here, Shawn. It's ok. Stop pleading for help because everything is ok." Triple H held Shawn and gently rocked him. Shawn turned his upper body so his head was leaning on Triple H's stomach. Randy Orton and Batista were somewhat confused, because in their minds they knew Shawn was several years older than Triple H, and yet Triple H treated Shawn like a baby.

"Hunter, what's up with Shawn?" Randy asked. Batista smacked him upside the head. "Shut up, man, that's none of your business." Batista told him. "No, it's ok. Shawn is suffering from amnesia. We need to get all this blood cleaned up. Oh, Vinnie Mac, can we play strip poker ringside?" Triple H asked Vince, who nodded his head no.

"You can play poker next week. Just rest yourselves up because this is going to be a long ride." Vince responded. Triple H nodded his head. Shawn sat up like a mummy and looked at Triple H. "Can you answer my question now? Where is Ravishing?" Shawn asked. Vince, Batista, Randy and Triple H were shocked that Shawn never missed a beat.

"'Ravishing' Rick Rude? Shawn, he passed away." Vince told Shawn. "Why wasn't I told this? Is that why you didn't want to answer me, Hunter? You thought you could make me forget it by giving me a package of Twizzlers. Cheap skate." Shawn giggled and stood up. Triple H looked around like he was innocent. He noticed that Shawn attempted to put a pair of pants over the black shorts because the belt was unbuckled. "Heh heh... Uh... I can explain..." Triple H told Shawn, who nodded his head sarcastically.

Ric Flair came in the room next and looked at Shawn. "What the hell happened to you?!" Ric asked. Shawn looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Hunter, since when did Ric Flair work here? I thought he and Vinnie Mac had a fight... Plus, didn't he go to work for WCW? Oh, another question, why is Eric Bischoff here?" Shawn asked.

"Uh... Um... Shawn... Eric is the General Manager of Raw. WCW doesn't exist anymore. Ric Flair works for WWE now. I thought I told you this." Triple H explained as Shawn nodded his head in agreement. "I make you look like such a dummy when I ask you stuff you already told me the answer to." Shawn giggled and started to laugh. Evolution had enough and left the locker room to head to the ring. They were in the main event match against Jericho, Benoit and Edge.

Vince sat down in the locker room and began to map out what D-Generation X would do the next week. "You promised we could mock a wedding!" Shawn shouted. "Why don't you wait to mock a wedding... Give it three weeks. Next week you guys are going to play strip poker. Two weeks from tonight you're going to have a barbeque. Got it?" Vince asked. Shawn nodded his head yes. "We got it, Vin Man. We're looking forward to pleasing the crowd again." Triple H announced as Shawn smiled and agreed.

* * *

**A/N: Do you guys think I have Shawn a little too mushy or maybe too silly? –Dylan**

**Edit: Ugh, damn 'Dylan' nonsense!!!! Anyway, if you noticed, I changed some paragraphs in this chapter because they were completely ridiculous. 2 down, 7 more to go! … Technically 6. Lol.**


	3. Doctor's Appointment

Like Old Times

Wednesday, 9/15/04

Doctor's Appointment

The sun was starting to set in Seattle, Washington when Triple H and Shawn Michaels got in Triple H's car to go to the hospital. Triple H knew in his mind that the amnesia was taking a toll on Shawn. Shawn's doctor told Triple H to have Shawn back in the hospital on Wednesday for a check-up. Against HBK's will, Triple H took him.

"Oh come on, Trips, why do you have to take me?!" Shawn shouted. Triple H saw people look at him in the waiting room. "Stop acting like a baby, Shawn... It'll be ok. Just calm yourself down..." Triple H soothed as the doctor called Shawn and Triple H in the second examining room.

"Oh, yes, if it isn't you two again. I vaguely remember you from the other night. Which one of you is the patient..? Um... I can't read this... You must be a lefty... Michael... Hickenbottom," Shawn cringed at hearing his real name. "Call me Shawn." He stated. The doctor looked at him for a moment. "Oh, yes, the wrestler Shawn Michaels. Now, who are you?" The doctor pointed his pen at Triple H. "I'm Shawn's best friend, Paul Levesque. You can call me Trips since it's my new nickname in the WWE." Triple H informed him.

"Oh. Well, sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Doctor Jason Huffman. It's nice to meet you both again. Well, does that problem still exist?" He asked Triple H. "Yes, it does. Can I speak to you outside? Shawn, stay here," Triple H stated as he left the room with the doctor. Shawn didn't even answer or acknowledge the fact he was alone in the room. Instead of paying attention, he was fascinated by a whole bunch of posters on the walls about health and fitness.

"Listen, Shawn is a wrestler. We need him back the way he was pronto! I can't keep lying to him, it's not right! Shawn still has the amnesia, but he doesn't even know about it… Tell me, when is he going to get better?" Triple H asked. "I know you have a lot of questions, Mr. Levesque... But it's too early to really know when Shawn will be ok. I give him three to four months." Doctor Huffman replied.

"Ok, ok... What are the main symptoms? Can you tell me that?" Triple H asked. "Yes, I can. Ok, main symptoms of amnesia... Memory loss, of course. Do you know what I mean by acting like a child? If you do, that too in some cases and it seems to me that this is one of those." Doctor Huffman answered as Triple H scratched his head.

"'Acting like a child'?" He asked. "Yes, constantly testing you, joking around too much, laughing when nobody else is, testing authority... You know, acting like a child would act. If you're still confused, my little kid is sitting in my real office, I can go get him at any time." Dr. Huffman stated.

"No, I understand now. Listen, I said this before and I'll say it again… Shawn has no clue. Please don't tell him." Triple H pleaded. "Don't worry, Mr. Levesque. It's our little secret. Nobody else will know." Dr. Huffman assured. They went back in the room and accidentally hit Shawn in the head with the door, unaware that he was reading the poster behind it.

"Thanks a lot, I think you just scrambled my brain some more." Shawn stated. "Sorry, buddy." Triple H apologized and helped Shawn stand up from his kneeling position. "You can go now. Remember, be easy on the head." Dr. Huffman winked at Triple H and gave Shawn a bag of Twizzlers.

Shawn and Triple H left the hospital and went to Triple H's car. Shawn was heavily guarding his new bag of Twizzlers as he sat in the car. Triple H and Shawn were heading to the next house show, which was in Tacoma, Washington. Shawn opened the bag and looked at Triple H, who was driving. He looked quite troubled, having an upset, confused and angry look on his face.

"What's wrong, Trips?" Shawn asked. "Oh, nothing really. I'm fine, Shawn. Really, I am," Triple H replied. Shawn slumped down in his seat. He grabbed a Garth Brooks CD and attempted to put it in the CD player, but Triple H stopped him. "No music, Shawn. Please, no music..." He pleaded. So, Shawn put the CD back in the case and sat up normal again.

"Here, have a Twizzler. Munch your problems away." Shawn told Triple H, who slightly giggled. Triple H took the Twizzler that Shawn held out in his hand for him. "Why, thank you, buddy." Triple H told him.

"Oh, no problem. So, what did the doc have to say? Anything good? Maybe why everyone is treating me weird?" Shawn asked. "Nope. He didn't have anything good to say. Just the usual boring stuff. About everyone treating you weird... Don't you think it's because we're degenerates?" Triple H replied.

"I don't know what I think anymore. I'm not so sure I'm the one running my brain. It feels like something is missing..." Shawn stated. Triple H stopped at a red light and looked at his friend. The streetlamps lit up Shawn's eyes. For the first time in a while, Triple H saw a look of being upset and confused in Shawn's beautiful blue/green eyes. "Well, I'm sorry... I can't help you with that, buddy." Triple H told Shawn, who looked at him again.

Shawn grunted and looked out the window again. "Nobody can." He stated and put his head against the window. Triple H was caught in traffic, thanks to an accident. Somebody was hit by a car, and then the car crashed, so emergency medics and policemen were at the scene. Triple H looked at Shawn, who was now asleep. Triple H took advantage of a sleeping Shawn and took two Twizzlers out of the bag and started eating them.

"If only I could tell you what was really going on, Shawn... You wouldn't be too happy with me or anybody else for that matter... I really am sorry, buddy... But it has to be like this..." Triple H stated. He was glad that Shawn was still sleeping, because he didn't want Shawn to hear what he said. Not only would it make Shawn hate him, it would make him feel like an ass for sounding so romantic.

* * *

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for the great reviews! Keep 'em coming! I know I have Shawn a little too goofy... But this chapter will tell you why. Ok, I got that done. Yes, D-X is going to mock a wedding. Hah hah! I have a nice and funny surprise coming up in that chapter. Only I know what it is. Ok, I'll give you a hint: It'll be goofy. Remember, D-X is mocking a wedding, not really having one! And to answer somebody's question as to if Chyna will be getting 'married:' you'll find out!**

**Edit: Decided to move the damn author's note to the bottom of the chapter. I personally hate it when authors put it before everything happens… Wow, I actually do that in my other fanfics. (But that will be changed).**


	4. Announcement

Like Old Times

Raw 9/20/04

San Antonio, Texas

Shawn and Triple H sat in their D-X locker room for the very first time in Texas. They were practicing for their game of strip poker later on that night. Instead of striping once they lost, they were playing for Twizzlers. Shawn was just about to show Triple H his cards when Vince McMahon busted into the locker room and scared the crap out of D-X, which caused Shawn and Triple H to drop their cards on the floor. Vince watched in astonishment as they scrambled to pick them up.

"Oh, hey Vince." Triple H stated as he picked up his cards, which went more towards the doorway, where Vince was standing. "Well, thanks for knocking, Vin Man." Shawn told Vince and started picking up his cards. Some went into his gym bag and the rest went on the floor. "Hey guys. I'm sorry to disturb you. Triple H, I wanted to know if I could speak to you outside for a minute..." Vince asked.

"Wait, hold on. Shawn, no cheating." Triple H told Shawn, who smiled evilly. "Would I ever?" He asked and then giggled. Triple H didn't quite trust Shawn, so he grabbed his cards and put them in his pocket. He turned towards Vince and left the room, shutting the door tightly behind him.

"What's up?" Triple H asked. Vince looked at him in a certain way. "How bad is it? You should know what I mean..." Vince whispered now, fearing that Shawn would be listening in on the conversation.

"Um.... Is this about Shawn? Why are you whispering?" Triple H asked his father-in-law. "Yes, it is about him. I'm whispering so Shawn can't hear us. How bad is the amnesia?" Vince asked, still whispering.

"The doctor says that the amnesia will take a few months to go away, only if he doesn't get hit in the head too much. Main symptoms are acting like a child and memory loss." Triple H started to whisper, now understanding that Shawn could be listening in. "A few months? Acting like a child? Jeze, is Shawn that far into it? I called the hospital and they wouldn't tell me anything and I'm the owner of the company!" Vince shouted the words 'owner of the company' and whispered the others.

Just then, Shane McMahon came along on crutches. "Heh, Dad, you must mean the C.E.O, not the owner... Heh... Mom is practically the owner... I mean... You did buy it with borrowed money, right?" He asked. Vince looked at Shane. "How do you know you little booger..." Vince stated. Linda came up from behind Vince and put her hand on Shane's shoulder. "I told him. The boy deserves to learn the truth sooner or later." She told Vince.

"Shane, if you don't mind me asking... Bro... What the hell happened to you?" Triple H asked. Shane chuckled at him. "Well... Finally, somebody cares enough about me to ask... I got hit by a car in Seattle on Wednesday night. Drunk driver, of course. Crashed right into my knees, so they're all f'ed up now. Heh... I'm a little too drugged up now... Heh... They had me on a drug to numb my legs... Now I sound like somebody that's high on crack... Let me go call my wife and see how my son is..." Shane told them and made an effort to leave, but Linda stopped him.

"Uh, sweetie... Marissa and Declan are both here... Let's go pay them a visit... I think you need a nap..." Linda told him and they both went down the hall. Shane was constantly saying 'heh heh' all the way down the hall after Linda asked him something. Vince and Triple H both jerked out of their stupid daydreams.

"Yes, it's that bad. You know what I mean by acting like a child, right," Triple H asked, making Vince nod his head. "Good. You can't let people hit Shawn in the head too much. Please warn the Superstars ahead of time. Oh! Shawn doesn't know about the amnesia, so don't tell him." Triple H whispered. "Of course, Paul." Vince stated.

Shawn opened the door. "Hey, Trips. Get in here; this is something that you'll find very interesting." He stated. Vince and Triple H both entered the locker room and saw that Shawn had tuned in to Raw. Christian, Trish Stratus and Tyson Tomko were standing in the ring. Triple H slightly chuckled at Christian's stupidity.

"Is this the welcome back that I get? D-Generation X is back? What the hell is going on here? You know what... I want D-X right here, right now!" Christian shouted. Tyson grabbed the mic. "Yeah. How about me and Christian against the two of you? Oh, and Shawn Michaels, you only felt a little bit of my power. There's much more where that came from. Triple H and I have a score to settle." Tyson stated.

Eric Bischoff came out. "Now, let's face facts, Christian. D-Generation X would never face two 'chump-stanes' like you! They have a filled up schedule tonight... So why don't you two wait until... Survivor Series? Then you two could settle the score. So, at Survivor Series, it'll be D-Generation X versus Christian and Tyson Tomko! Now, get the hell out of my ring! All three of you!" Eric shouted, and then went backstage.

"I thought he was on our side..." Triple H slowly stated. "That damn Christian... Always causing problems..." Vince stated and left the locker room. "Wow that was quite odd." Shawn told Triple H.

They sat down and continued playing poker. "When are we gonna play strip poker?" Shawn asked. "After Vince's announcement." Triple H stated without hesitation. Shawn stared at his cards for a while, thinking over his turn.

Then he grabbed the bag of Twizzlers. "Hey! You didn't win!" Triple H yelled. Shawn chuckled. "Are you sure?" He asked and showed Triple H a full house. Triple H laughed a bit and put his cards down. Shawn offered to share his newly won Twizzlers, and Triple H agreed.

A few minutes later Shawn and Triple H saw Vince go down to the ring and take a mic, so they got up and left their locker room. Shawn took the deck of cards and shoved them in his pocket. Vince overlooked the crowd that was gathered in San Antonio, Texas.

"Well, isn't it a great day here in Texas? Wouldn't you Texans agree with me? Well, one of your fellow citizens is here tonight; he and his friend are going to do something very special for the crowd. I'm talking about Shawn Michaels and Triple H!" Vince shouted, and he paused as the crowd applauded D-X.

Shawn and Triple H came out and made their way to the ring. Vince stared at them in a strange way, especially when they got in the ring. "Hello Vin Man," Shawn paused and listened to the crowd. "Why don't you just shut that big mouth of yours and get on with your announcement? Nobody wants to hear you act like you love that state of Texas. That's right. The great Vincent Kennedy McMahon hates everyone here in Texas, including me." Shawn shouted.

"Uh, Shawn I don't know who told you that but... It's not true!!!" Vince shouted. "Well, Chin... I mean Vin," Shawn started laughing. "Yeah, I'll call you Chin Man from now on. Oh man... Sarge isn't here anymore? Nuts. You can't beat the original Chin Man. As I was saying... Stop lying to the crowd, Chiny!" Shawn screamed.

Triple H took a mic. "Stop making fun of him, Shawn. Let me join. Hey, Vince, nice looking toupee... Where'd you get it? A skunk?" Triple H asked as fans laughed.

"Shut up! Both of you! I have an important announcement to make. Thanks for reminding me, Shawn. Next week on Raw, a certain Superstar will be returning to join D-Generation X." Vince stated and left the ring.

Shawn and Triple H looked at one another. "Well, let's start the game, shall we?" Triple H asked. "I got the cards!" Shawn shouted happily. D-X got out of the ring and set up a card table and two chairs. They sat down ringside and started their strip poker game while a match went underway in the ring. The match was Chris Benoit and William Regal against Ric Flair and Batista.

Shawn and triple H went back and forth showing each other cards and taking off an item of their clothing. Fans didn't know if they should watch the match or watch the strip poker game. Chris Benoit saw the poker game going on and became confused. He tagged in William Regal. When Regal was in, Benoit turned around and watched the game. Ironically enough, the tag team match and the poker game had their winners declared at the same time. Shawn finally defeated Triple H in a poker game, whereas Chris Benoit and William Regal defeated Ric Flair and Dave Batista.

Since the show was over, the arena started to empty and the Superstars headed backstage together. Benoit gave Shawn the biggest hug anyone could ever imagine. "How are you doing young Master Michaels? How about you Master Triple Haitch?" Regal asked, his accent kicking in when he said the 'H' in Triple H's name. "Just fine." Shawn stated, gasping for air while Benoit was still hugging him. "I'm a hell of a lot better than I was before. Thanks for asking, William. How you doing? How are your sons?" Triple H asked.

"They're fine, thank you for asking. Little Darren graduated junior high in June. Now he's in high school... My boys... They're growing up so fast..." Regal sarcastically stated. Batista let out a fake drama queen sigh. "What a sin..." He stated as Ric, Triple H, Regal, Benoit and Shawn started to laugh a bit. "Here's our locker room. See you guys tomorrow." Triple H stated as he and Shawn went into the D-X locker room.

Triple H and Shawn both took showers and packed up their gym bags. They were about to leave when Triple H saw Shawn looking in his wallet. He was looking at one particular thing. "Hey, Trips... Who's this?" Shawn asked as he showed Triple H a picture of his son Cameron. "Oh, Shawn... That's the picture of your son Cameron. Speaking of which, you need to call your wife. Now." Triple H angrily stated.

"I was thinking of dropping by before the house show in Dallas tomorrow. Instead of staying in some cheap hotel we could sleep at my house." Shawn reasoned. Triple H agreed. "Ok. I can't stand those cheap ass hotels, anyway. So, you gonna call or is it a surprise?" Triple H asked. Shawn held up 2 fingers, as in saying surprise with the gesture.

* * *

Shawn Michaels House

San Antonio, Texas

Shawn and Triple H got out of the car and knocked on the door. Rebecca, Shawn's wife, answered it. "SHAWN!" She shouted and practically jumped on him. "Hey Becky. It's nice seeing you, too." Shawn told her and slowly made his way into the house with Triple H closely behind. Rebecca got off of Shawn and closed the door.

"I'm so surprised to see you! It's been a while since you came over, Paul. Your 'nephew' misses you so much," Rebecca stated, hugging Triple H. "You guys hungry or thirsty?" She asked. "Nope." Shawn stated and went upstairs to search for his 4 year old son. "I have to tell you something." Triple H seriously stated once Shawn was up the stairs.

Rebecca got Triple H and herself a glass of water. "It's been a while since Shawn called me. I was starting to get worried. There isn't anything wrong with him, is there? I mean..." Rebecca stopped talking once she saw the look on Triple H's face. "Shawn was wrestling with Kane. Er... Glenn Jacobs... Glenn accidentally hit Shawn too hard during one of the major spots of the match, and he gave Shawn a serious concussion. Now Shawn has amnesia." Triple H slowly explained. He told himself that he was talking to Shawn's wife and not one of the wrestlers.

"Are you sure, Paul?" She asked. "I'm sure. I took him to the doctor on Wednesday and the doc said that he should pull out of it in about 3 or 4 months. You should've seen what happened before we came here... Shawn was looking at a picture of Cameron... He didn't even know who he was. He had to ask me." Triple H told Rebecca.

Upstairs, Cameron lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. It was about 9:30, but he couldn't fall asleep. He wondered where his daddy was and what he was up to. Then he heard the door slowly open, so he reached under his blankets and quietly pulled out his toy sword. "Cameron?" Shawn asked, but his voice was raspier than usual, so it scared his son. Cameron leapt off of the bed and whacked Shawn in the head with the sword. "TAKE THAT EVIL PERSON!" He shouted.

Rebecca and Triple H were discussing a movie they both saw. "Wasn't that part hilarious? I mean... Kevin Nash actually started to beat up that poor kid Thomas Jane... I feel so bad for him. Kevin threw him right through a wall." Triple H stated and started laughing. They were discussing the movie _The Punisher_, which starred Thomas Jane and John Travolta. Rebecca stopped laughing when she heard noises coming from upstairs. "Let's go see what's going on." She stated. The two ran up the stairs.

"Ow! Cameron Kade Hickenbottom! It's your daddy!" Shawn shouted. Cameron was now standing right in front of Shawn. He dropped his toy sword. "Oops... I'm in trouble... Sorry Daddy... Wait a minute... DADDY!" Cameron shouted and attached himself to Shawn's left leg. Shawn chuckled a bit and lifted Cameron up and hugged him tightly.

All of a sudden, Triple H and Rebecca ran in the room like baboons. "Where is the emergency in this room?!" Triple H shouted. "Uncle Paul!" Cameron happily shouted. "Sorry, Shawn. I didn't warn you about Cameron's new defense. Hitting anything that enters his room late at night with his toy sword. See," Rebecca held it up. "Your father bought it for him… Homer fell victim to it 3 nights ago." Rebecca explained. "Hey, champ. What's up? You hit your daddy in the head with the sword, didn't you?" Triple H asked Cameron as Shawn handed him to Triple H.

The four of them went downstairs. Cameron sat in front of the TV and tuned in to his favorite cartoon, Looney Tunes. Triple H, Rebecca and Shawn went into the kitchen to continue talking. "Hey Becky, could you get me a diet Pepsi?" Shawn asked. Rebecca got the soda and brought it to Shawn. She looked at his forehead and saw a sloppy scar running diagonally.

"Daddy, come watch this episode of Looney Tunes with me! It's really funny! Please? Please?" Cameron begged. Feeling bad for Cameron, Shawn got up and went into the living room. "Where's that scar from?" Rebecca whispered. "His match with Kane. He was busted open a bit during it." Triple H replied, also whispering. Cameron started giggling then bursted into laughter. Triple H looked into the living room curiously and saw Shawn tickling him.

"Ok, Cameron. Ask Daddy to put you to bed," Rebecca stated. "Daddy, can you put me to bed?" Cameron asked between laughing. "Ok. Come on, Cameron." Shawn asked, scooped up Cameron and brought him upstairs. He put Cameron to bed then went back downstairs.

"I'm gonna go to bed. Night, Shawn. Goodnight Rebecca." Triple H stated. He hugged Rebecca goodnight and squeezed Shawn's guts out with a bear hug. Triple H went up to his usual guest room smiling. He was very happy that he listened to Shawn and went to his house instead of staying in a cheap ass hotel.

Rebecca and Shawn re-located to the living room. "So, did you buy anything?" Shawn asked. "No. Why?" Rebecca asked, acting innocent. Shawn knew her too well to take that as an answer.

"Yeah right. If you didn't buy anything then I'm Peter Pan," Shawn sarcastically stated. "Ok. I bought Cameron a game for his Playstation 2 if you must know," Rebecca answered. "Which?" Shawn asked. "I bought him that baseball game he wanted for his birthday. I'm not going to go out and buy him a game that he can't beat… He's too young for most games, anyway…" Rebecca replied.

Rebecca got up and locked the front door and closed the windows. She and Shawn headed upstairs. On their way, they passed Triple H's room. He was sleeping with his butt up in the air. "He's sleeping like a baby." Shawn stated and closed the door to keep the cold air from the air conditioner in the room. Next they passed Cameron's room. He seemed to be asleep, so Rebecca and Shawn went to their room. Once they lay down, the door opened. "Mommy... I had a bad dream..." Cameron stated in an adorable baby-like voice that he knew his parents couldn't deny. "Hop in, Cameron." Rebecca stated. Cameron ran and dove head first onto the bed and fell asleep in between his parents.

* * *

**A/N: Hola people. Just wanted to let you guys know that I have a new C2 thingy going on called 'WWE Degenerates.' It's for any WWE or D-Generation X fan. Anybody who wants to join, please contact me so I could add you as a staff member. Just figured I'd let you know in here, since this story is about my favorite degenerates.**

**About Christian/HBK feud, I had no clue it happened until the day after Raw. I had this chapter written last month and had no clue that a feud would erupt between the two. So, this was just a lucky guess... I just thought everyone would enjoy an at home look with HBK. Shawn's wife didn't have the baby yet in this story. Sorry if I made Shane McMahon sound like he was drunk or high on crack. I thought it would be humorous for him to act like that after getting hit by a car. Heh heh... Well, enjoy. Oh, I got it... Read, review and tell me what you want to see in later chapters! –Dylan**

**Edit: Wow… That's all I really have to say… Wow…**


	5. The Return Of

Like Old Times

Raw, 9/27/04

Washington D.C

In the states capital, Triple H and Shawn Michaels got comfy in their new D-Generation X locker room. Shawn was sitting on a couch with headphones on listening to his new Garth Brooks CD. Triple H, on the other hand, was running around like a chicken that just lost its head. "What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?" He shouted. Shawn just looked at him, nodded his head in disappointment, and turned up the volume on his music.

Triple H left the room and then returned with a CD player. He plugged it in and got out a CD. Shawn had his eyes closed and seemed to be dozing off, when all of a sudden a loud blast of music made the whole room vibrate. The vibrations were so bad that Shawn's headphones flew off his head and he fell off the chair. Triple H watched helplessly as Shawn landed hard on his ass on the floor.

"What are you doing?! Good grief, Trips! Lower it, will you?" Shawn shouted with his hands over his ears. Triple H, on the other hand, began playing air guitar. "Hell no, Shawn! This is great!" He shouted and continued running around. Shawn sat there and stared at him with nothing in mind to say.

"What kind of music is this?!" Shawn finally shouted. He was surprised Triple H even heard him because the music was so loud. "It's Alternative Rock, Shawn! Linkin Park, man! It's their song 'One Step Closer!' You never heard of it? Man, you need to let go of your damn Garth Brooks CDs!" Triple H shouted back.

William Regal and Eugene came into the locker room and automatically covered their ears. Shawn threw a sneaker at the CD player, which stopped playing. "What was that horrible noise?!" William shouted. "No, it's not noise William, its Linkin Park!" Eugene shouted at William. "There we go. At least somebody listens to the hit list. Eugene, you are so damn awesome!" Triple H shouted.

Vince McMahon came in the D-X locker room. "Well, are you guys ready to find out who's coming back? Raw starts in 5 minutes, and you two are on first. Is that MY CD player?!" Vince shouted. "Ask him." Shawn simply stated and pointed to Triple H. "Now, Master Michaels, it's rude to point!" William shouted. "Uh…Um… I got it from Shane… Who, by the way, said something about you actually owning it… But he didn't touch on that subject too much… All he said was…" Triple H innocently stated, but he was cut off by Vince.

"Whatever. You two better get out there." Vince stated. Shawn nodded and started his way down the hall. "Wait for me!!!!!" Triple H shouted and chased after him. Triple H caught up with Shawn by the entrance way for the TitanTron. Vince popped out of nowhere. He walked past a confused D-X and made his way to the ring. Some fans were cheering, others were booing.

"I didn't come out here to clown around. I want D-Generation X down here right now!" Vince shouted. Fans exploded out of their seats once they heard D-X's song echo over the loudspeakers. Triple H and Shawn Michaels made their way down to the ring. They faced Vince, and they never attempted to goof around.

"We're out here, Vince. Let's get down to business." Triple H announced. "I just wanted to say that tonight a superstar will be returning to the WWE to re-join D-Generation X. I'll see you two goofy idiots later." Vince stated and tried to leave, but Shawn stopped him. "Wait, that's all you wanted to tell us? What was the whole point of being serious?" Shawn asked.

"You two better start showing me some respect!" Vince screamed. Triple H looked at Shawn with a smile on his face. "This seems familiar…" Triple H whispered in Shawn's ear. "Ok, Vince. We'll start showing you some respect. SUCK IT!" Shawn shouted, as he taunted Vince. Vince went to go punch Shawn or Triple H, but they both ran out of the ring and went backstage to their locker room.

"So, what do you want to do?" Shawn asked Triple H. "I have no clue… How about we blast music?!" He shouted. Shawn was about to answer, but there was a knock on the door. He got up and opened it. Chris Benoit stood outside.

"What's up, Chris?" Triple H asked Chris Benoit. "Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to know… Shawn… You told me that any time I needed your help you'd be there for me. Do you still mean it?" Chris asked. Shawn looked at Triple H, then back at Chris Benoit. Triple H hoped Shawn would remember saying it. "Yeah, I meant it. Why, what's wrong?" Shawn asked.

"I'm having a match later on tonight against three of Raw's worst nightmares. Batista, Kane and Tyson Tomko. I don't have any tag partners. If you guys aren't doing anything, can you possibly help me?" Chris asked. "Well, we aren't doing anything…" Triple H thought out loud. "Sure, we'll help you. Keep this a secret though, ok?" Shawn asked. Chris nodded his head.

"Thank you so much!" He shouted and hugged Shawn, then left. Triple H and Shawn went into the hall to see Chris Benoit skipping down the hall singing 'I have tag partners and you don't know who they are, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!' "What a nut..." Shawn stated as he went back into the locker room. "We're really going to tag with him?" Triple H asked as Shawn nodded his head in response.

About 15 minutes later, Chris Benoit came back to the D-X locker room and knocked on the door. This time, Triple H opened it. "What's wrong?" He asked. "The match is starting in 10 minutes… Where's Shawn?" Chris asked.

"Snoozing on the couch. Do you want to come in?" Triple H asked Chris. "Um, sure. Is he ready for the match?" Chris asked. Triple H nodded his head and sat on the other couch.

"When you asked Shawn that question before, I had no clue if he was going to answer you," Triple H started, mostly out of nowhere. "What do you mean?" Chris asked. "He told you about him having your back earlier this year, I wasn't sure if he was going to remember saying it… I guess he did, though…" Triple H told him.

"I almost forgot about the…" Chris was just about to say 'amnesia' when Shawn woke up and looked at him. "Almost match time?" He asked and then yawned. "We still have a few minutes. But I think we should start heading towards the ramp." Triple H replied. Shawn got up and ran around looking for his wrist tape.

"What are you looking for?" Chris asked. "My wrist tape. I don't remember where I put it." Shawn shouted. Triple H and Chris looked at each other and then at Shawn. "Borrow mine. I don't know where you put it either. Knowing you, you must've forgotten it somewhere." Triple H told him and gave him his wrist tape.

Shawn, Chris and Triple h were heading to the entrance way when they saw EMT's rushing to the ring. "What happened?" Triple H asked Sergeant Slaughter. Shawn wanted to scream out 'Chin man' so bad, but he held back on it. "McMahon was attacked by Christian and Tyson Tomko," Sarge answered. "Which McMahon? Details, Chin man, details!" Shawn shouted. "Shane, you dimwit! What other McMahon would be at ringside," Sergeant Slaughter paused for a moment to process what Shawn had said. "And why do you still call me Chin man?!" Sarge shouted at Shawn.

"Why did they attack Shane? What did he do to them?" Chris asked. "Who knows? Shane was the ref for this match, but it's obvious that Christian or Tyson Tomko wants to send a message to a certain person." Sarge stated and looked at Shawn. "Ok, I get your point." Shawn stated and went onto the ramp. "Where the hell is he going?!" Triple H shouted and chased after him, closely followed by Chris Benoit.

"What's the deal here, guys? Why are you attacking Shane-O? What did he do to you?" Shawn shouted over a mic he swiped from a stage hand. "Stay out of this, Michaels! You'll soon get your fate at Survivor Series!" Christian shouted. "Why should we stand around here and watch you beat on Shane?" Chris asked. Another ref, Earl Hebner, was trying to get Christian out of the ring. "We have another match to start. Get out." He stated, and Christian left the ring, avoiding the ramp and going backstage the other way. D-X and Chris Benoit went back behind the curtains.

Backstage, Shawn, Triple H and Chris made sure Shane was ok. "You sure, bro?" Triple H asked. "Perfectly fine. Get out there and kick some ass." Shane responded. Once Kane and Batista went to the ring, Chris came out. He was followed by D-Generation X, his surprise tag team partners. Tyson was rather surprised, but soon figured he can use this to his advantage.

Shawn started the match off against Kane. He remembered his match against Kane at Unforgiven quite well, though Triple H didn't believe he remembered it. Kane gave Shawn quite an upper-cut, and Shawn fell backwards, tagging in Chris Benoit as he did so. Chris was able to make Kane tag Batista in. Batista power-bombed Chris, who crawled to Triple H and tagged him in.

Triple H and Batista faced off for several minutes, constantly locking up. Each man was able to read the other like a book. They nailed one another with a clothesline, knocking both men down. Batista tagged Tyson Tomko, and Triple H tagged in Shawn Michaels. Shawn, who seemed to be gaining energy from the crowd, attacked Tyson with speedy and powerful moves. Shawn was about to dropkick Tyson, but his move was well scouted, and Tyson threw Shawn head first into the turn buckle.

Shawn, who was now busted open, dropkicked Tyson into his corner and tagged in Triple H. Tyson tagged in Batista, and the two ex-partners battled each other for the second time in one night. Triple H hit Batista with the Pedigree. He was about to cover him when Kane came in and interrupted the count. Chris ran in and put Kane in the Crippler Crossface. Tyson ran in and attempted to get Chris off of Kane, but he received some Sweet Chin Music from Shawn Michaels.

Chris released his hold on Kane, who rolled out of the ring in agony. Triple H delivered another Pedigree to Batista, and covered him for the three count. Shawn, Chris and Triple H celebrated their victory, but were soon interrupted by Vince McMahon.

"Congratulations on your victory, guys. I know everyone is anxious to see who is returning to re-join D-Generation X, so I won't keep you waiting anymore. Everybody, please give it up for the Ninth Wonder of the World! CHYNA!" Vince shouted to wild applause as Chyna walked onto the ramp.

"It can't be… No way…" Triple H whispered. Shawn took one look at Chyna and collapsed to the ground. "Vain dude," Chris started as he knelt down to revive his friend. "Shawn? Are you ok? Wake up, man, this isn't funny." Chris complained. Shawn looked at Chris. He stood up and walked up to the top of the ramp with Triple H close behind.

"Nice to see you again, Shawn," Chyna started. "Hey Chyna! Great to have you back." Shawn stated and hugged her. Triple H joined Shawn and Chyna. "Chyna? You're back! And it's really you this time!" Triple H shouted and hugged Chyna. "Who else would it be, Paul? Nice to see you to." Chyna stated.

Shawn got a mic from J.R and Jerry Lawler. "Let's have Chyna remember the good old days! So," Shawn got closer to Triple H so both of their voices could be heard over the mic. "Let's get ready to suck it!" They shouted, and the fans were more than happy to join in.

Shawn, Triple H and Chyna hugged and went backstage to their locker room. "I couldn't believe it when Vince told me D-X was back! I asked him if I could return to the WWE to join, and he said I'm more then welcome! I was so excited. You guys haven't changed much. How's Cameron, Shawn?" Chyna asked. "He's good. You haven't changed much, either." Shawn replied. Triple H was happy to see Chyna back, but it seemed as it pained Shawn in a way.

Chyna was taken back when she saw how sloppy the D-X locker room was. She went off to clean it, so Triple H decided to talk to Shawn. "You ok, Shawn?" Triple H asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Shawn replied.

"It seems as if it hurts you to see Chyna back," Triple H started. He looked at Shawn, who was wide-eyed. "I'm happy that Chyna's back. I just have a huge head-ache. My face hurts and my eyes hurt. Why wouldn't I be happy?" Shawn asked. "I don't know. But, I'm glad to see her back. D-X wouldn't be D-X without Chyna here." Triple H told Shawn.

"Hey, guys," Chyna shouted to get Shawn and Triple H's attention. "I'm glad to be back." She stated. "We're glad to have you back, Chyna. I was just telling Shawn that D-X wouldn't be D-X without you." Triple H told Chyna. "I'm the woman in D-Generation X! Not Chyna," Shawn shouted, making Chyna and Triple H chuckle. "We're D-Generation X. And if you're not down with us, we got two words for ya…" Shawn started. "Suck it!" Chyna, Shawn and Triple H shouted together.

So, it was just like the good old days. The original D-Generation X was back in business. Together, Chyna, Shawn and Triple H were ready to do anything to shock the fans.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I have a good excuse though. So, tell me how you liked this chapter and what you want to see in the future! Happy holidays! –Dylan**

**Edit: XD I'm almost done! YAY!**


	6. Secrets Not Long Buried

Like Old Times

Raw, 10/4/04

Atlanta, Georgia

D-X made their way through a large crowd outside the arena in Atlanta, Georgia. They stopped to sign several autographs for some fans, mostly for little kids. They noticed that the show was already going on and they were 10 minutes late. Because they were late, they didn't know about a feud that would start between themselves and Evolution. The feud wouldn't last long; because it would end with Evolution helping D-X rid themselves of Christian and Tyson Tomko. When they got into the arena, Evolution stood by their locker room and blocked the hallway. Triple H wasn't happy by this.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Shawn cheerfully asked Evolution. Ric Flair looked at him and gave him the finger. Shawn dropped his gym bag and wondered what was going on. He went to get in Ric's face, but Triple H stopped him. "What was that all about?" Triple H asked his onetime tag team partner. "We don't appreciate you guys coming here and talking about us behind our backs." Randy announced.

"What? What are you talking about?" Shawn asked. "Don't play dumb with me, Michaels." Randy stated, but Batista cut him off. "He's not playing dumb, Randy... He is dumb. He is a dumb son of a bitch." Batista shouted. Shawn leapt at him, but was caught and thrown to the floor by Triple H. "What the hell did you say that for? Huh, Dave? Why the hell would you say something like that?" Triple H shouted. He was furious with Batista for what he said. Not only because he said Shawn was dumb, but the fact that Shawn didn't know about the amnesia.

"Hey! Dave, clam down and back up, okay? Shut up while you're at it. Trips, listen... He didn't mean that... As a matter of fact, we were joking around..." Ric stated. He could tell that Triple H didn't know about the feud by the look on his face. Shawn looked at Ric, then at Triple H. Shawn stood up and got in Batista's face. "Why don't you say it?" Shawn asked. "Say what, Michaels?" Batista asked.

"You know what he's talking about, Dave." Triple H angrily yelled. "Ok, you don't know? I'll tell you. Why don't you say that you were joking around? Don't make Ric Flair say it. I want to hear it come out of your mouth." Shawn stated and stared at Batista. Batista looked at Ric, then at Triple H. His eyes finally settled on the small man in front of him, who had no fear. "Fine. I was joking around. Do you want me to spell it for you?" Batista asked. Shawn looked to the side of the hallway, nodded his head in disappointment and punched Batista in the face. Triple H grabbed Shawn and threw him to the floor again, whereas Ric Flair and Randy held Batista back.

"Chyna, take our bags to our locker room. We'll be there in a minute," Triple H stated. Chyna got Shawn and Triple H's gym bag and walked to the D-X locker room. Triple H stood up and gripped onto Shawn's shirt so he wouldn't think about trying to attack Batista. "If you have a problem with us... Let's settle it in the ring." Triple H stated and began to walk away. He forgot about restraining Shawn and let go of his shirt. "Or, you can just suck it!" Shawn shouted, taunted them and ran to catch up with Triple H. All three members of Evolution narrowed their eyes in anger.

The cameraman shut the camera off, so Evolution ran to catch up with D-Generation X. "Hunter? Triple H!" Ric shouted, and Triple H turned around to look at him. "What?" He asked, quite furious. "Listen, I guess you didn't know about it, but that was all an act." Batista told him and Shawn. "What?" Shawn asked. "We're supposed to be feuding with you guys for a little while, then turn on Christian and Tyson Tomko and join forces with you. We didn't really mean what we said... It was just a joke. Honestly. I guess you guys didn't get the memo earlier..." Randy stated. Triple H looked at Shawn.

"Memo? Shawn..." Triple H looked at Shawn's eyes and saw he was really lost and confused. "I don't know what he's talking about. What memo? Guys, we just got here!" Shawn shouted at Evolution. Randy looked at Ric. "Well, go in your locker room and see. Vince left a memo..." Ric started, but Chyna came out with a note in her hand. "Guys? I found this note in here. It's from Vince saying that you guys will have an argument with Evolution because you're feuding." She stated. Triple H, Shawn, Ric, Randy and Batista shrugged their shoulders and sighed. Triple H took the memo and read it.

"That explains a lot... Sorry, guys... We didn't know... Dave... Why?" Triple H asked. Shawn looked at Triple H's face and saw it was his time to go in the locker room. "See you guys later." Shawn stated and jumped in the locker room. "I'm sorry, Paul. I didn't think that statement would hurt your feelings... I forgot about the... Um... You know... I was joking around, anyway. Just like when Randy said guys like HBK were extinct." Batista stated. Triple H knew that Batista didn't lie unless he was joking, and he knew for a fact that Batista was serious. "Would we honestly make fun of Shawn for not being quite 'up-to- date'? I would never do such a thing..." Ric honestly told Triple H. What they didn't know was that Shawn was leaning against the door to the locker room, listening in to what they were saying. He knew Triple H wouldn't like him listening in on the conversation, but he knew it was something about him, and he wanted to know why everyone was treating him weird.

"Ok... I get it... I know you guys didn't mean it... I didn't know, so I took it offensively... I'm sorry for getting so mad at you... I should've known you weren't making fun of Shawn and his amnesia." Triple H stated. Shawn went wide-eyed when he heard 'amnesia' come from Triple H's mouth. He walked away from the door and sat on the couch. "When the fuck was he going to tell me about it?" He asked himself. He sat and stared at the wall until Triple H came in the room, which wasn't for another 10 minutes. Triple H settled things with Evolution and walked into the locker room. The first thing he was Shawn sitting on the couch, staring at the wall.

Triple H walked closer to Shawn and looked at his eyes. He could tell Shawn was deep in thought because he was in a daze. Triple H looked at the wall, then back at Shawn. "Something wrong?" Triple H asked Shawn, who didn't stop looking at the wall. "No." Shawn answered. It was a flat answer, so Triple H knew something was bothering him. Triple H sat down next to Shawn on the couch.

"Something's wrong. What happened? Want to talk about it?" Triple H asked. Shawn looked at him in a certain way that sent a chill down Triple H's spine. Triple H thought maybe Shawn had remembered something about their feud. Shawn choked. "When were you going to tell me?" He asked.

Triple H was shocked. _He found out about the amnesia... Dammit!_ He thought to himself. "Tell you about what?" Triple H asked, hoping that it really wasn't about the amnesia. Shawn thought long and hard. He didn't want to ruin his relationship with Triple H over him finding out he has amnesia. So, he decided to keep it a secret. "When were you going to tell me we weren't mocking the wedding tonight?" Shawn asked. Triple H started thanking God that Shawn didn't find out about the amnesia… But things still seemed fishy to him.

"I forgot myself... Sorry, Shawn... Why did you seem so pissed off when I came in?" Triple H asked. "I was thinking about what Batista said about me... I know he said he was just joking, but I don't think he was... I am slow and a bit dumb... Could you help me out? What's going on with me? Why do I feel like this? What are you hiding from me? I feel... Distant and it seems that I'm getting treated as if I was an alien." Shawn stated. Triple H stared at Shawn the whole time and never interrupted him no matter how many times he got the urge to tell him the truth about everything.

"Stop thinking like that. We all love you. You should know if there was anything going on, we would tell you. Don't you trust us enough to know that?" Triple H asked. He wanted to smack himself silly. He couldn't believe he was lying to his best friend. Triple H wanted to believe he was lying to Shawn for the better of it, but he knew it was a lie. He was lying to Shawn for no apparent reason. He felt stupid for that. Shawn smiled. "Thanks. I knew you would make me feel better. I'm a wrestler, Paul. In order for me to be successful at that, I have to trust you. I've been here a while, so that means I trust you. Right?" Shawn asked. In response, Triple H smiled and shook his head.

"We have a match with Evolution tonight. Get ready." Triple H stated as Shawn got up and walked away. "Ok." Shawn replied and got his wrestling attire. He went to change, leaving Triple H, who was still sitting on the couch, alone. He continued thinking about Shawn. Could he have found out about the amnesia? It was a mystery to Triple H. His brain screamed no but something said yes. When Shawn came out in his wrestling attire, Triple H went to change.

Triple H came out to find an empty locker room. Well, Chyna was sitting on the couch watching Raw, but Shawn was nowhere to be found. "Chyna? Where's Shawn?" Triple H asked. "He left when you went to change. He didn't say where he was going. All I know is that he was heading towards Evolution's locker room, and I heard that Vince is here tonight. Vince's office is right across the hall from Evolution's." Chyna told Triple H. Triple H threw his wrist tape across the room and ran out of the D-Generation X locker room.

Triple H saw Randy Orton coming down the hall. So, Triple H stopped Randy dead in his tracks. "Where's Shawn? Randy, have you seen him? Please tell me you have," Triple H stated. Randy looked at him. "I haven't seen Shawn since earlier tonight. But, now that I think about it... I did see him. He was hanging around near Vince's office talking to fans with backstage passes." Randy told Triple H. "Thanks! Um... If you were a girl I'd kiss you, but I'm married and I don't kiss guys. See you!" Triple H shouted and ran down the hall.

Triple H stopped in front of Evolution's locker room and knocked on the door. Ric Flair answered. "Look, if this is about earlier tonight, I already said I'm sorry," Ric started. "No, this isn't about tonight. Do you know where Shawn is?" Triple H asked. "Yeah, he's with Vince McMahon. He told us to tell you if you came around." Ric stated. Triple H smiled and knocked on Vince's door. He heard Vince's voice scream 'come in,' so he opened the door and walked inside the locker room.

"Hey Paul." Linda stated, smiling at him. Stephanie ran to her husband. "Hey sweetie!" Stephanie shouted and hugged him. Triple H smiled. Vince stood up and walked over to his son-in-law. "Is there something wrong?" Vince asked. "Yeah, there's something wrong. I lost Shawn... Randy and Ric said he's with you. Is he here?" Triple H asked. Vince nodded his head no.

"He went with Shane to deliver a message to Kane. They should be back soon." Linda told Triple H, who started to freak out. "What about Tyson Tomko and Christian! They've been looking to make Shawn brain damaged since D-X came back!" Triple H shouted. "Brain damaged? Is there something going on that I don't know about? Why are you going crazy about finding Shawn?" Stephanie asked. She wasn't in much contact with Paul or her family, so she wasn't aware of Shawn's problem.

"Shawn was in a match with Kane at Unforgiven and was diagnosed with a serious concussion. He's suffering from amnesia. He still thinks D-X is together..." Triple H told his wife, who seemed to be shocked. "I forgot about Tomko and Christian... If they're smart, they'll stay out of it and leave Shawn alone." Vince stated, out of nowhere. Triple H smiled, as in saying 'thanks.' The door slammed open and Shawn and Shane walked in.

"Shawn, you are a very bad boy. I was looking all over for you. I thought Tomko and Christian HBK-napped you." Triple H lectured. "Calm down, Trips. Shawn was with me. I HBK-napped him." Shane stated and smiled. Triple H looked at his brother-in-law and narrowed his eyes angrily. "Match time?" Shawn asked. It was the only thing he could think of, so he decided to say it.

"Yeah, our match is coming up soon. Come on, let's go." Triple H announced, grabbed Shawn's arm and dragged him out of the room. "What's wrong?" Shawn asked Triple H once they were away from Vince's office.

"Nothing." Triple H stated and continued dragging Shawn. "You know, Paul, I can walk on my own. I don't need you dragging me." Shawn said through gritted teeth. Triple H stopped walking and looked at Shawn. Both men were pissed off.

Triple H let go of Shawn. "What is your problem, Paul?!" Shawn shouted. Triple H continued staring at him. Shawn didn't know why he was so pissed off, but he clearly wanted to find out. "Why did you leave? You didn't tell anybody." Triple H stated, clearly pissed off. Shawn figured that wasn't what it was about.

"Come on Paul, please tell me the truth. If you want me to answer that question, I left a note. The note said that I would be with Shane. If you didn't get the note, Chyna is a jackass. I gave her the note to give to you." Shawn stated. Triple H looked at him, and a small smile appeared on his face. "Ok. You want me to tell the truth? What are you not being truthful about? You know something, and you're not telling me." Paul told Shawn, whose face became emotionless.

"I know something and I'm not telling you? I bet I know everything you know. But I think you're hiding something from me. I don't think you want me to do anything stupid, so tell me the truth." Shawn demanded. Triple H thought about it. "I'm not hiding anything from you." He stated.

"Oh, you're not?" Shawn asked and gave Triple H a look that once again sent a chill down his spine. He saw it was the same look as earlier that night after his chat with Evolution. "What? Were you snooping? Do you know something that I'm trying to hide from you? What? What is it, Shawn?" Triple H angrily asked.

"I heard you talking to Evolution before. I didn't try to snoop, but I couldn't help myself. God forgive me. You've been hiding something from me for a long time, haven't you? I didn't want to say anything because I thought it would ruin our friendship. It starts with an 'a' and ends with an 'a.' That's the answer to why I feel stupid." Shawn stated, and went to walk away, but Triple H stopped him. "Shawn... Listen to me... I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I'm glad that D-X is back, so I thought telling you would ruin it. I thought you would hate me for it... I wanted to tell you so many times, but Vince told me not to... Shawn... I'm sorry... I really am..." Triple H said, in a very sad tone.

"So... It's true. I do have amnesia. I thought you were joking. I don't believe this..." Shawn stated and walked into the D-X locker room. Triple H was so upset, pissed off and confused that he didn't know what to do. He walked into the locker room and saw Shawn sitting on the couch. He was writing something in a book. He seemed to be expressing himself by writing whatever he was writing. "Shawn... Our match is up next... Are you coming?" Triple H asked. Shawn never answered him. So Triple H left the room and headed towards the ramp to face all three members of Evolution on his own.

* * *

D-Generation X vs. Evolution

Fans were shocked when they saw Triple H come down to the ring alone. Some people thought Shawn ditched Triple H, others thought something happened. Evolution was standing in the ring. Randy, Ric and Batista couldn't believe that Shawn didn't come out with his tag partner. Triple H started off against Randy. Surprisingly, Evolution didn't tag each other in a lot. They laxed on it since Triple H was facing them alone.

Triple H was doing great until Randy tagged Batista into the ring. Batista was destroying Triple H, and the match soon turned into a tornado tag. Each member of Evolution was beating on Triple H. Everyone was shocked to hear D-X's song once again blare over the loudspeakers. Shawn ran onto the ramp, only to get ambushed from behind by Tyson and Christian. Chris Benoit, William Regal and Eugene came out and pulled Christian and Tyson off of Shawn, then outnumbered them in a brawl. Shawn ran down to the ring once he shook the cobwebs out of his head. He slid into the ring and helped Triple H get Evolution to back down.

When each member of Evolution was out of the ring, Shawn helped Triple H stand up. They exchanged looks for a while, then hugged and apologized to each other. Shawn blamed himself for what happened, but Triple H thought it was his fault for not telling Shawn the truth in the first place. D-X thanked Benoit, Regal and Eugene and went to their locker room. They sat down and had a long chat and expressed themselves.

"Listen, Shawn. I think it's all my fault. I should've told you in the first place... But when you started acting like D-Generation X was together... Vince told me that he'll make it happen. He told me not to tell you about the amnesia... I don't know what we would've done when you came out of it... The doctor said you were going to be like this for a few months. Vince wanted a big fan pop... He figured that bringing D-X into the picture will increase Raw's ratings… Anyway… I'm sorry." Triple H stated.

"It's my fault too, Trips. Don't take all the blame for it. I know you didn't tell me the truth, and that's breaking a friendship rule. But I should've told you that I knew. I just found out when you were talking to Evolution. I snooped. That's also breaking a friendship rule. I'm sorry, too. I knew everyone was keeping a secret from me... I wanted to know why everyone was treating me weird. If anything, we can share the blame for this. 50/50. Right down the middle... Let's forget this conversation ever happened..." Shawn told Triple H.

"You bet your ass this conversation never happened. So, we're going to drop it and go on with our lives... In D-Generation X... Together?" Triple H asked. "Of course we're going to be in D-Generation X together. Did you think I was going to abandon you? Never! Now, we never had this conversation, and I never found out about the amnesia." Shawn truthfully stated, and the two men hugged.

* * *

**A/N: Uht oh... Shawn found out about the amnesia... Bad news for Triple H. Very bad news. Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I thought it should be something different. Don't worry, I'm not going to get rid of D-X. This isn't going to affect Triple H and Shawn's friendship, either. I'll give you hints/spoilers for the next chapters:**

**Chapter 7: A certain member of D-X is attacked by Tyson Tomko and Christian in a parking lot.**

**Chapter 8: The member who wasn't attacked is faced with confusion and a lot of problems when he's all alone on Raw. New character introduced**

**Chapter 9: The Heartbreak Kid is nowhere to be found, and everyone is worried.**

**Chapter 10: WWE Raw returns to Montreal, Canada. Bret Hart makes an appearance.**

**Heh heh... This story will go past 10 chapters. Don't think I'm stopping there. There's so much to tell and a story can only have so many chapters... Especially under the circumstances of this one, being that D-X will only be together for a short amount of time... Peace out and happy new year. –Dylan**

**Edit: Wow…. Just wow…. Oh yeah, I removed the summary and character list from each chapter, cause I think you understand what's going on by now.**


	7. Time In Miami

Like Old Times

Hideous Attack  
Miami, Florida  
10/7/04

Paul and Shawn relaxed on a beach in Miami, Florida. They were quite pleased with Vince McMahon, who allowed them to go to Florida 4 days before Raw kicked off live in Fort Lauderdale. However, it was mostly done out of guilt for how hard he was running Shawn and refusing to let Paul tell him the truth about everything that was going on. The weather on the beach was perfect. Paul became extremely jealous because Shawn didn't burn under the sun. However, Shawn just laughed it off. "Hah hah! You burned!"

"Where'd Chyna go?" Paul asked Shawn, who looked around the beach and didn't see her. He shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me… She probably got dragged underwater by sharks and…" Shawn stopped talking when he heard Paul laughing and saw Chyna approaching them. "You guys talking about me? What's so funny, Paul?" She asked. Paul never answered her. He continued laughing. Shawn looked at him and looked away in embarrassment. He never thought Paul would act that way towards his ex-girlfriend. He was really weird sometimes, but Shawn wouldn't be able to live without him.

"Man, I always miss the funny stuff…" Chyna stated. She sighed and walked away. Shawn smirked. "Just look into the mirror and boy will you be in for a laugh…" He mumbled. He looked over at Paul, who just started laughing harder. It came to the point where it was very annoying and Paul's face was turning red. Shawn looked at the people around him on the beach. They were staring at him in an odd way. A little boy walked over to Shawn. "He's really weird. Can you get him to shut up?" He asked.

Shawn chuckled at the little boy and nodded his head yes. The kid was right, anyway. Paul wasn't acting himself. Shawn grabbed him and dragged him over to the water. "Shut up or I'll throw you in." He threatened. Paul laughed harder in Shawn's face, so Shawn scooped him up and slammed him into the water. Several people started to giggle at the act.

Paul rose up out of the water and gave Shawn a dirty look. "What was that for?" He asked. Shawn ran in to help Paul stand up and walked back to their spot. "What on earth are you talking about? You were laughing like a maniac. People were getting scared. I don't like it when people get scared. So… I gave you an option. Shut up and I'll leave you alone, or… Keep laughing and be thrown in the water… You obviously choose to keep laughing." Shawn explained his actions towards his friend.

Paul picked up his towel and hit Shawn with it. Shawn threw the bottle of sun tan lotion at Paul in response and rubbed his head. "Did I hit you in the head?" Paul asked after picking up the lotion bottle and folding up his towel. Shawn rubbed his head a little more. "Yeah. You got me right in the forehead… Nice shot…" Shawn replied and folded his towel. The two started to make their way towards the parking lot.

Paul looked around for their car and raced toward it."Come on, Shawn! I don't want to burn anymore!" He shouted. Shawn chuckled at Paul's stupidity and took his sweet time walking to the car. Paul jumped in and started it, so Shawn decided to jog over to the car and hop into it as well. "Wow. I'm surprised with you. I can't believe you actually ran to the car to prevent from burning...Which... Um... I don't think you can possibly burn anymore then you already did..."

Instead of getting a decent reply, Shawn got a whack in the head. It was enough of a whack to send his body forward and his baseball cap flipping off his head. Shawn caught himself before he would've hit the dashboard. "Yeah! Now what!?" Paul shouted teasingly. Shawn just glared at him. _Uht oh... Here comes an unwanted mood swing..._ Paul thought to himself. Shawn turned his head away from Paul slowly and leaned it against the window. "Have I ever told you that you can be a real asshole sometimes?" Shawn asked.

"Uh... Wait, let me think about that... Hmmm... Yep!" Paul replied and smiled proudly. Shawn turned for a moment to see this and couldn't help but smile. Try as he might to be mad at his best friend, the smile Paul was making made him want to be overjoyed with happiness. Once Paul saw the smile on Shawn's face, he backed out of his parking space and drove in the direction of the hotel. "You're not only an asshole, you're also an idiot. Did I ever tell you that?" Shawn asked again, waiting for the same exact response.

"Um... Hold on a minute... As a matter of fact... Yes! You did! 30 minutes ago! Now... I'm hungry. Let's run in, change, run back out and go to Applebee's!" Paul shouted excitedly as he pulled in to the hotels parking lot and parked the car. Shawn chuckled. "Alright. I'll race you. One... Two... Two and a half... Two and three quarters... THREE!" Shawn shouted.

The two members of D-Generation X nearly tripped over themselves jumping out of the car and running into the hotel. They raced passed the person at the front desk, who was well aware of who they were and what had been going on in the wrestling world as of late, and only chuckled lightly at the action. Although they were supposed to be racing, they wound up in the same elevator together and did nothing but laugh. Some people got on and stared at them, wondering what drug they were currently smoking. Once the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, Shawn and Paul screamed out their "excuse me's" and ran down the hall, lightly pushing one another into a wall. Unfortunately for Paul "Triple H" Levesque, he crashed into a janitor. The two rolled down the hallway, making Shawn have to jump 3 feet in the air to avoid being knocked over.

Once the two stopped rolling down the hall, Paul sat up and apologized to the janitor. Shawn stood by the hotel room and laughed. Paul thought the man was about to piss his pants. "Calm your ass down, Alpha Male... It's not that funny... I could've broke that poor old man's back..." Paul sympathetically stated and watched as the janitor, who looked to be around his mid 60's, stood up and used a broom he had as a cane to get back over to his cart. He muttered curse words at Paul as he pushed the cart and hobbled down the hallway. Shawn, now beat red in the face and tears pouring out of his eyes, fell on the ground and laid there. Paul walked over to him and kicked him lightly in the leg. Once Shawn regained himself, he stood up and opened the door. "Hurry! Shawn hungry. Shawn want eat."

The two raced around their hotel room like chickens that had just lost their heads and grabbed clean clothes. Paul ran into the bathroom and changed, and as soon as he got out, Shawn raced in and did the same. They were out of the room in a matter of 5 minutes, literally. As they walked down the hallway, a woman poked her head out of her hotel room door. She pointed to them. "Hey! You two creeps! That janitor is going to get you two in soooo much trouble," She began, making Shawn and Paul stop in their tracks and turn to look at her. "Oh, yeah? And what did we do to him?" Shawn asked, scratching his head. The woman pointed to Paul. "He knocked him over, and the two rolled down the hallway! Were you two high or something? He's 66 years old, for goodness sake! You could've killed him!" The woman yelled back. Paul looked at the woman, then at Shawn, and back again. "Do you have any idea who we are? We're D-Generation X for goodness sake! It was an emergency, I mean... We were running to our hotel room because we had an emergency..."

"What kind of 'emergency' could be so important that you can plow over a 66 year old man and get away with it?" The woman asked. She was really starting to annoy Paul and was already reminding him and Shawn of Chris Benoit. Paul and Shawn looked at each other and tried to think of what to say. Paul's eyes landed on Shawn's scar from Unforgiven and raised his eyebrows at Shawn. Shawn put his head on the scar and slightly nodded his head yes. He knew what Paul was thinking, and the man didn't even have to open his mouth. "Well... Um... Ya see... My buddy here... He... Got into a really bad fight with this guy named Glenn... And Glenn caused him to get a really, really, _really_ bad concussion... This led for him to acquire amnesia... And he doesn't remember the past 7 years... And whenever he remembers something we have to give him some medicine that the doctor prescribed... Cause if we don't he can... Well... Die..." Paul explained. _Well, at least some of it was the truth..._ Paul thought. The woman looked at Shawn, who was looking around innocently. When his eyes connected with hers, he gave her the best puppy dog pout he could muster. _Who could resist those adorable eyes?!_ The woman squealed to herself.

She exhaled, as if sighing in relief, and smiled. "Oh... Alright... That sounds pretty serious... I'll pass the information along to the janitor and let him know how serious your situation is... I'm Alannah, by the way... Alannah Copeland..," She paused and stretched her arm in Paul's direction. "Oh. I'm Paul. Paul Levesque," He replied and shook it. "Oh my God! I was wondering where you looked familiar! I'm Adam's wife! Edge! Alannah Copeland? Sound familiar now?" She joked around and looked at Shawn. He just stared at her and didn't make an attempt to shake her hand. "Oh yeah! I didn't even recognize you. You look great, Alannah. How's Adam? Where is he, by the way?"

"Oh, he's with that mischievous Jay Reso... Christian... He's always getting himself and that Tomko guy into trouble... Sometimes I just wanna strangle him... How's Stephy? And what on earth is wrong with Shawn?" Alannah asked Paul after looking over at Shawn, who remained still and silent. Paul looked over at him, then looked back at Alannah. "Ah, don't worry about him... He gets... Um... Spaced... Heh... Oh! Yeah... Christian is always getting into trouble with Tomko... They get so annoying sometimes... I just don't want to strangle him I wanna... Kill him... Man, he really needs to pay for his actions as of late... Hitting poor Shawny in the head... Oofa... Look at the time... We'd better get going. I gotta feed the beast. Ha-ha... I'll see you later, Alannah. BYE!" Paul shouted, grabbed Shawn by the arm and jogged down the hall.

The two ran out of the hotel and hopped back into their car, and just as Paul said, headed down to Applebee's. "Um... What just happened?" Shawn asked, looking at Paul. Paul, who was now driving the car, looked over at Shawn. "Ah... Nothing, buddy... Just had a run in with Alannah Copeland, Edge's wife. Now... AHA! Yes! Applebee's!!!!!! I'm starving!" Paul shouted as loud as he could, which was pretty damn loud. Shawn had to cover his ears to try and ignore the sound, but to no avail. Paul's voice still floated into his ear drums. _God he's giving me a headache..._ Shawn thought to himself. Paul pulled in to the Applebee's parking lot, parked the car and hopped out triumphantly.

They walked in to the restaurant and placed orders. As soon as their waitress walked away with the order, they busted out laughing. This made them receive their fair share of stares. Shawn nudged Paul's shoulder. "I have a good idea for a prank," He began and waited for Paul to finish chewing on a piece of steak. "Yeah? And what would that be?" Paul asked and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Shawn adjusted himself in the chair before continuing. "Well... I thought we could start teasing Vince about... His preferences..." Shawn stated playfully.

Paul nearly spit his Pepsi all over the man in front of him. "'Preferences!?' What kind of drug are you on, Shawn? What the hell are you talking about?!" Paul shouted to him. Shawn chuckled. He obviously knew that was coming. He leaned in closer to Paul, almost as if he was about to tell him a deadly secret that only he was privy too. "I mean... What he likes... Ya know... Chickens, maybe? Roosters...?" Shawn stated playfully once again.

The look on Shawn's face made Paul realize what he was really talking about. "Are you serious!? That is... Genius... Vince likes..," Paul and Shawn had the same idea at the same exact time. "Cocks!" The two laughed, making several people look at them from their tables. Little kids peered over their French fries to look at them. Once they stopped laughing, Shawn cleared his throat. "Well... Um... Yeah... Awesome... Wanna see a movie after we eat?"

Paul shrugged his shoulders and stuffed another juicy piece of steak in his mouth. "Ah, I don't see the harm in it. Alright. We can make it to a 6:30 show if we hurry up and eat," Paul stated, making Shawn hold up his napkin over his own dinner. Once Paul stopped talking, Shawn put the napkin down and picked up his fork. It was then Paul noticed Shawn didn't even start eating yet. He glanced down at his watch. "Not hungry?" He asked, once he realized the food was there for about 10 minutes. Shawn shrugged his shoulders and started to play around with the food with his fork. "Eh... Not really... Well, I was..." Shawn's voice trailed off as his eyes landed on a beautiful woman. He couldn't help but stare.

Paul followed Shawn's eyes to the woman and looked back at him in shock. He picked up a glass only half full of water and spilled it on him. Shawn jumped back and looked at Paul curiously. "Michael Shawn Hickenbottom! I am ashamed of you! How... Dare you... Stare at a woman in MY presence!" Paul shouted, mostly joking around. Paul started laughing, and when he didn't hear Shawn's laughter join him, he stopped. As soon as he opened his eyes, a spoon full of potatoes flew across the table and hit him in the face. "That's for the unwanted bath, fuck face." Shawn stated and added insult to injury by laughing.

With his best friends narrowed eyes glaring at him, Shawn stopped laughing and looked for the waitress. He signaled for a check. Paul wiped the potatoes off his face and finished his Pepsi. "Alright, alright. Relax... Let's go see a movie or something..." Paul stated. The waitress came along and glared at the two once she saw Shawn was wet. She placed the check down and stomped away. "Oofa. Wonder what we did to her..." Shawn joked and looked at the check, then took the money out of his wallet and paid it. The two stood up and headed out of the restaurant towards their car. The waitress who served them walked over to the manager. "I absolutely HATE those two," She stated. The manager looked at her and tilted his head to the side. "Why? What did they do to you?" He asked. She looked at him seriously. "I just greatly despise them. They are very immature and they have no respect for authority. I'm going on my break. I need to smoke..." She stated and walked outside.

As Paul and Shawn were heading to their car, Shawn suddenly stopped. He got a shiver down his spine which made him freak out. Paul stopped as well and turned to look at him. "What is it, Spidey? Get a gut feeling?" He asked. Shawn remained still and silent, looking around and listening closely. He knew something was about to happen. "Something isn't right..." Shawn stated and continued to stand there. Paul began to look around as well. He hated when Shawn got those feelings.

Out of the blue, Christian and Tyson Tomko run over to D-X and jumped them from behind. At first it was a brawl, then it turned into an unfair fight. Tomko and Christian used the elements around them to help beat down D-X. Christian Irish whipped Paul into a nearby car. Paul would've sworn he heard a crack in his ribs as soon as he connected with it. He fell to the ground and groaned in pain, but was soon joined by Christian, who began to stomp him out. Tyson threw Michaels face first into a fence, then turned around and Irish whipped the bloodied man into a car. Shawn's face connected with one of the windows, shattering it instantly, and setting off the car alarm. Christian and Tomko looked at each other and ran as fast as they could down the block.

The waitress stepped outside and was about to light her cigarette when all of a sudden she heard glass shatter, followed by a car alarm. She figured it was a robbery, so she slowly approached the area. Once she saw two men run away from the car, she knew it was safe to walk faster. She stopped at the sight of an unconscious and still Paul Levesque, who lay a few feet away from the car. "This can't be good," She told herself and approached the car, only to see Shawn leaning up against it, bleeding profusely from his head and on the brink of unconsciousness. He was flopping around like he usually did in the ring when he was fading. The waitress bent down in attempt to calm him down and talk to him. "Sir! Sir? Are you with me," She asked. He looked at her, barely and slowly nodded his head.

She saw how distant his eyes were and knew he wouldn't be conscious long. She turned back to look at the restaurant and saw her manager come out. "Dave! Dave, I need help," She shouted off the top of her lungs. The manager looked around for her and ran in the direction of the car alarm. Once he reached her he asked that ever so famous question... "Denise, what happened?!" He shouted and observed the carnage that surrounded one of his best waitresses. He saw who the two were and remembered her saying she hated them, but yet the hatred seemed unimportant and forgotten at the moment as she held Shawn in her lap and pressed a towel to his head. "I don't know. We need to call 911. I think these men were jumped from behind by somebody." She stated. The manager nodded his head and took out his cell phone. He dialed 911 and requested an ambulance.

"They're coming, Denise..." He told her. Denise looked at Shawn's face to see he was still conscious, which was surprising to her. 2 minutes ago it looked like he was struggling to keep his eyes open. "Did you hear that, sir," She asked and watched as he nodded his head yes. "Ya know, you're not as bad as my husband says you are... You know him, right? Jay Reso," She paused and waited for his response. She never got one. Shawn's eyes were ignited with fury. He closed his eyes to try and keep his mind off of the situation, but he couldn't ignore the pounding in his head. His heart began to race as thoughts ran through his mind. "My god this man is bleeding like a stuffed pig! Dave, give me your shirt or something!" She shouted.

The manager looked at her and began to unbutton his shirt when an ambulance pulled up to the parking lot. Paul began to stir around a little and lifted his head to see what was going on. He saw the waitress holding Shawn and wanted to crawl over to them but stopped due to a tremendous pain in his rib cage. An EMS worker jumped out of the ambulance and situated himself next to Shawn and Denise. The other went over to Dave, who was now standing over Paul. "And what do we have here," The first EMS worker asked Denise, taking out a small flash light and shining it in Shawn's eyes. "I think it's a concussion. I have no idea what happened... I came out here and these two were lying around. But, I did see 2 figures run away, so they might have been jumped from behind." Denise stated. The EMS worker listened to what she said. "Yep. This is a concussion. Now all I need you to do is tell that to the police when they arrive. Hey! Jack! This one is coming!" He shouted to the second worker. "Alright now, what seems to be your problem," The second EMS worker asked as he bent down to observe Paul. He could tell by the tight grip Paul had on his stomach that it was his ribs. His partners comment made him lift up his head and turn it back to him. "Yeah, this one too! Bill, if he's not too seriously hurt he can sit on the bench. This one needs to lie down..." Within minutes, the two EMS workers got Paul on a stretcher and into the ambulance.

The first EMS worker, Bill, walked over to Shawn, who was now leaning against the car again, and knelt down to look at him in a better way. Damn, he was out of it. "Hey. I'm Bill. Wanna tell me your name," He asked. Shawn looked him in the eyes, an act that made Bill upset for some odd reason. He had never seen so much sadness in his life. "Shawn." Shawn replied. Bill smiled and reached for the towel he had placed on Shawn's head to see if the bleeding had lessened. Jack, the second EMS worker, joined his partner. He got a good view of Shawn's forehead once Bill lifted the towel. "Damn. That must've been some shot to the head. How is he still conscious?" Jack asked. His partner nodded his head. "I have no idea, Jack... And you're right... That is a nasty cut. We'd better get these two out of here..." Bill replied. Bill held the towel onto Shawn's head and grabbed an arm. Jack grabbed the other and the two got Shawn onto his feet and walked him into the ambulance.

Shawn glanced down at Paul on the way to the hospital. Although Paul was in pain, he looked up at Shawn as well. Paul saw that Shawn was holding a towel to his head, pressing it down firmly in attempts to stop the bleeding. "You were right, Shawn. You were right," Paul whispered. Shawn nodded his head and put his free hand on Paul's shoulder. "They're not getting away with it this time," Shawn whispered back. Paul tilted his head and looked up at Shawn to see if he heard him right. "What?" He asked. Shawn looked away, then returned his sight to Paul. "They're not getting away with it. They went too far." As the ambulance pulled into the hospital's emergency room parking lot, Shawn lost consciousness and fell off the bench.

As soon as both members of D-Generation X were cleaned up and diagnosed with an injury, Vince McMahon was called and alerted to head over to the hospital. Paul woke up to see his boss and father in law staring down at him. "Are you feeling better, Paul," Vince asked. Paul nodded his head. "Uh... Yeah... Actually I am... What... uh... Happened?" Paul asked. "Well, according to the EMS workers... They said a woman came outside of Applebee's and heard a window shatter, then a car alarm go off. She said she saw 2 figures running away from you and Shawn... I'm glad the two of you are alright... However," Vince paused. Paul hated it when he said 'however' in that tone. It usually meant something bad was about to be said. "You aren't allowed to wrestle for one full week due to broken ribs. Which means, you have to stay here where you're safe and can be monitored by doctors."

Paul was mad, but his anger faded into worry. "What about Shawn? Where's Shawn," He asked. Vince exhaled deeply. That usually meant 'give me a damn minute!!!' "Shawn is in the room next door, being monitored for a concussion. The doctor down at the ER gave him a CAT scan and diagnosed his 'problem' better. They said it was a Grade III concussion back at Unforgiven and that he has Retrograde amnesia... He even prescribed him with medicine that will supposedly make him remember things. It's called... Um... Amytal..." Vince paused and looked at Paul. "That's great! He's out of action too, right? I mean... If he's starting this medicine he should be given a week off, too..."

Vince sighed again. This time it was the kind of sigh that was followed with bad news. _Damn! I know him too well!_ Paul thought to himself. "Well... Ya see... Here's the thing... In order to get a week off... You need to be medically excused... And... Shawn is medically cleared to wrestle, although I know he shouldn't... But I can't argue with certain people at Headquarters... They're on the brink of ripping my head off and feeding it to my dog already for my... 'Mistreatment' of Shawn Michaels for the past month. They think I should fire him, Paul. We don't want that, now do we," Vince watched as Paul nodded his head no without hesitation. "Yeah. That's what I thought. So... Shawn works on Monday and I keep my head... I'm sorry... But... I can't make excuses anymore..."

"But... Dad...You aren't making excuses for him! He really is hurt! And it's serious!" Paul yelled. Vince cleared his throat, making Paul stop. "Listen... I know how you feel. Trust me. I want to give Shawn time off too, but nobody wants to hear it, Paul. He just came back from a 3 month vacation. 3 months. Now he needs to stick around unless he has an injury which needs immediate fixing, like a torn meniscus or a broken arm. I am very sorry, Paul. But you're out for a week and Shawn is in. No acceptions."

"Whose gonna look after him, then? I'm the only one backstage who gives a fuck about him, dad. Nobody knows him better than me. Nobody knows how to treat him now that he's back to his old snotty self." Paul stated and crossed his arms over his chest angrily. This sucked big time. "I know, Paul, I know... Well... I'll tell Ric, Randy and Dave to watch him. He seems to trust them, too... And they can keep him safe from the threat of Christian and Tomko," Vince paused for a moment to see the look on Paul's face. "Don't worry. It'll be fine." Vince stated, hugged him and walked out of the room.

Why did Paul get the burning feeling that it wasn't going to be fine?

* * *

**A/N: Ah. Yes. Hi. It's me again. I know, I have a lot of explaining to do... LOL... A lot has been going on in my house and... Well... I couldn't find time to type. But I did find time to write up some chapters... This is actually much different from the version I have handwritten. I decided to remove some violence and add humor. Now that I have been put in charge of my mom's laptop, I'm going to spend my extra time typing chapters up and uploading them for you guys to enjoy. I am soooo sorry! Happy holidays!**

**I just realized I forgot about Chyna! LOL! Ooopsies... Oh well. R & R... Or not... Next chapter will be up soon. It'll be called 'Alone & Vulnerable'  
Oofa... Can you tell I studied concussions and amnesia? I read into the different Grades of concussion and types of amnesia, their symptoms and what they're caused by. I wanted to see if I was going the right way with how I was treating Shawn, and no need to fear, because I am. LOL.  
I remembered something from my past that made my dad raise an eyebrow. I hit my head on a ride at Six Flags when I was 7, and that's all I remember from that day. I do know I slept over my friends house. I woke up the next morning with a bad headache. I was dizzy and at first I had no idea where I was. LOL. I spent that day puking. How... Uncomfortable... A 7 year old girl with a... Concussion... That's why I looked into the different Grades and symptoms. Certainly, it was a Grade I, which is basically a blow to the head that doesn't result in unconsciousness, but does lead to other things, like dizziness, headaches, and vomiting. The concussion I described Shawn having in the first chapter is as bad as they come, a Grade III. This is a blow to the head that results in unconsciousness, memory loss (amnesia), and the other symptoms. WOW I sound like a nerd! LOL.  
Ok, now for the explanation of the 'Retrograde amnesia'... Retrograde amnesia is a type of amnesia in which the patient forgets things before their injury occurred. In Shawn's case, he forgot a total of 7 years... Tsk, tsk... Poor guy... LOL. But no need to fear! He will get it back... Eventually...  
And Amytal is a real medicine that doctors prescribe to their patients with amnesia. It helps them to regain the memories they lost little by little.**

**Edit: At least the last chapters aren't as brutal to read as the first few. LOL**


	8. Alone and Vulnerable

Like Old Times

Raw

Live: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida  
10/11/04

Shawn was wandering around the arena trying to figure out what the hell he could do. He figured there was nothing he really could do, being Paul wasn't around. He thought about how Vince McMahon was pushing him to stay with Evolution that night. _Aw, fuck Vince . . . He can't control me . . . I don't have to hang out with anyone I don't want too._ Shawn thought to himself. He really didn't want to hang out with Evolution, but it wasn't like he had a choice. They were calling his cell phone every 10 minutes and leaving messages to go to their locker room immediately. However, Shawn wanted to be alone. He decided the only place to go where he wouldn't be bothered by anyone was the D-X locker room. He could lock himself in and think. But better yet, he would be alone.

As Shawn turned the corner to go to the D-X locker room, he ran smack into Eric Bischoff, causing him to fall on his ass. Instead of helping him up, Shawn doubled over and laughed at him. Eric looked up at Shawn from the floor and got up to face him. "Nice one, Michaels. Was that for messing with your wife?" He asked. Shawn stopped laughing and tilted his head at Eric. "What the hell are you talking about? You messed with my wife?"

Eric realized what he had said and immediately tried to prove his innocence. "Oh! No . . . I meant . . . When she worked for me . . . Um . . . I wouldn't let her out of her contract to marry you . . . I thought she was jumping ships to the WWE . . . Anyway . . . Why aren't you with Evolution? Vince made his point pretty damn clear that you shouldn't be left alone tonight . . . If I were you I would scurry along to Evolution's locker room before somebody sees you by yourself. I don't want to get in trouble." Eric stated. Shawn rubbed his chin with his left hand. "Ya know what, Eric? I don't care what Vince McMahon says. I want a match against Christian and Tomko. Make it happen or you'll regret it." Shawn stated and began walking away from him.

Shawn knew Eric was going to change his mind. Eric grabbed on to Shawn's arm and spun him around to face him. "You know what... It's not my fault that you're being stubborn. And since Vince McMahon knows how thick headed you are, he'll understand why I put you in a match when I was told not to. I'm going to give you," Eric paused to look at his watch. There was 5 minutes until the show started, and the main events on Raw usually started about an hour and a half into the show. "I'll give you a total of 80 minutes, which is an hour and 20 minutes, to come up with a partner. Because I'm giving you a match with Christian and Tyson Tomko. All you need is a partner." Eric stated. Shawn agreed with him at first, but he didn't like the whole 'finding a partner' part of the deal. "Hey! I never said I wanted a partner!" Shawn shouted.

"You know what, Michaels? You don't have a choice. You're going to get a partner whether you like it or not. You're not even supposed to be wrestling today! How do you like that? So I'm going against Vince McMahon and the Board of Directors and I'm giving you a match. All you have to do is find a partner to keep me from getting fired." Eric stated. Shawn growled and gritted his teeth. "Agh... FINE! But that doesn't mean I have to tag my partner in, now does it?" Shawn asked, smiling cockily. He turned around and started running down the hallway towards his locker room. Eric watched him go in shock. Never in a million years had he pictured Shawn Michaels, the born again Christian, acting like that. Now he knew the situation was as bad as Paul and Vince said it was, and he slightly regretted telling Shawn to find a tag partner. Oh yeah, he knew how the old Shawn was. The Shawn Michaels from the Attitude Era was as bad as they came, and unfortunately for the WWE, they had to re-live it all over again.

Eric walked back to his office and thought about what he just did. He would get fired for sure now. Vince specifically told him to make sure Shawn stayed with Evolution throughout the whole show. He also said allowing him to wrestle was a big no-no. '_The way Paul and I see it... If Paul can't be there to watch his back, Shawn doesn't wrestle_.' Eric heard Vince's voice in his head and cringed. Evolution barged into Eric's office and saw the look on his face. "Uht oh. That look can't mean anything good. What's up?" Randy asked. He and Eric got along when they had to, and at the moment, they were pretty much on the same page. Eric looked up at him. His eyes completely showed that he had done something wrong. "Wow. I never knew how much JR. was right when he said you ran like a 'scolded dog.' Now you just look like one. What's the deal?" Ric asked, his lisp making spit spray onto Eric's face. "Ah... It's just this whole situation with Shawn... I feel so bad..." Eric responded, wiping his face free of Ric Flair slobber. The last thing Eric needed was that old bags germs.

"Well, you should feel better since he isn't going to wrestle tonight. That means nobody can hit him in the noggin." Ric happily stated, tapping his head. His spit still flew in the air. Eric cringed once again, making Randy and Batista look at him with concern. "Oh no! You... You didn't... You aren't that stupid..." Batista stated and watched as Eric lowered his head. "OH NO! You're really stupid!" Randy shouted. Eric glared at him and stood up to face Evolution. "He threatened me... And you guys should know how stubborn Shawn is... Well, he's twice as bad now and twice as thick headed, to make things worse. Have no fear; I'm not as stupid as you may think. I'm making him find a tag partner to take on Christian and Tomko." Eric stated and pointed to the door. Evolution got the hint and left his office.

* * *

10 Minutes later...

D-Generation X Locker room

Shawn knew exactly who he wanted to call. He wanted to steer clear of Evolution and not bother with anyone else. Shawn surfed though his cell phones contacts, and just as he was about to call that ever familiar phone number, the door came off its hinges and fell on the ground. Shawn spun around to look at what had just happened and saw Evolution standing in the doorway. Well, Ric and Randy were standing in the doorway staring at Batista, who was lying on the door on the ground holding his shoulder and rubbing his head. "Way to go, Dave! That's really using your head!" Ric shouted, making Randy have to shield his face to avoid getting sprayed with spit. Batista looked up at Shawn, who still stood there dumbfounded. "Um... You ever hear of knocking..?" Shawn asked after regaining himself.

"Yep! But knocking is for normal people! In case you haven't noticed, Shawn... We aren't normal." The third generation superstar shouted from his spot in the locker room. Shawn continued to stare at them in awe. Now they really pissed him off. Batista pushed himself off the floor slowly and stood up. He rubbed his head and looked at Shawn. "Sorry about the door, man... You weren't answering our phone calls. Bischoff told us about your match. We just wanted to make sure you're really up to it and you got somebody tagging with you that's going to watch your back." He told Shawn. Shawn smiled cockily at Batista. "Oh you have no idea, Dave... No idea... Um... What are we gonna do about the door?" Shawn asked and walked over to the three members of Evolution. He looked down at the door, in which Dave was still standing on, and realized it didn't say 'D-X.' The door clearly read 'Shawn Michaels.' That confused Shawn. Did somebody in the business already know what Christian and Tomko were planning to do? Or did they know ahead of time that Shawn would be alone?

"Just leave it there, Michaels. Nobody will say anything! Hey, what's the matter?" Ric asked, for once, not spitting on anyone. Shawn knelt down to look at the door closer. He didn't remember seeing his name on the door. "It... It says my name..," Shawn paused and touched the name plate as if it were gold. Dave and Randy looked at one another, and then back down at Shawn. "Yeah... So?" Randy asked. Shawn looked up at him, then at Dave and back at the door. "It... Said 'D-X' before... I swear it said 'D-X' before!" He shouted. Dave knelt down and patted Shawn's back. "Maybe you were..." Dave looked outside of the locker room and saw the 'D-X' name plate hanging up on the wall with spray paint surrounding it. There was a picture of Paul with a big black 'X' over it and a picture of Shawn which had an arrow pointing to it saying 'you're next' in big black letters. "...Imagining... Things..." Batista finished off his statement and continued staring at the wall.

Shawn looked up at Dave and looked into his eyes. He followed them and turned to face the wall. His jaw nearly fell to the floor in shock. "OH MY GOD!" Shawn yelled and jumped up. He ran to it in shock and grimaced once he saw it. Now Christian and Tomko really pissed him off. Dave, Randy and Ric followed Shawn and watched his facial expressions. It looked like he was going to kill someone and cry at the same time. Ric put his hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Calm down, Michaels. You can take 'em. You're the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, dammit! If anyone can take them, it's you!" Ric shouted, trying to assure Shawn that he'd be ok. Randy and Dave looked at one another in an odd way, then at Shawn. "And who do you think did this?" Randy asked.

Shawn shot him an evil glare instead of answering him. He obviously knew who had done it, and vaguely remembered the same people attacking him and Paul in the parking lot. _Christian and Tomko..._ Shawn thought to himself and gritted his teeth. Shawn turned to look at Ric Flair and raised an eyebrow at him. '_You're the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels! The man who flew out of the sky!'_ Shawn looked around and blinked, remembering a time where Ric Flair was yelling at him about a $100,000 bounty on Bill Goldberg. '_Hit him, Shawn! Hit him now!'_ The lecturing went on and on. "You ok, Shawn?" Dave asked him. Shawn turned to look at him after trying to block out Ric's voice. "Yeah... Yeah I'm fine... Just... Remembered I had to do something... I... I'm fine..," Shawn stated, and attempted to turn around and head back into his locker room. He tripped over only God knew what and fell, catching himself with his hands before his face would've hit the ground. Randy automatically threw himself down next to Shawn to see if he was ok. "He's zoned, dude... He's like... Out..." Randy stated. "Don't... Want... The bounty..." Shawn mumbled.

Dave knelt down next to Shawn and Randy. "What bounty, dude?" He asked. Ric knelt down in front of Shawn and thought. "The $100,000 bounty, Shawn?" He asked Shawn after remembering the event as well. Shawn blinked several times and regained himself. "Ah! What the hell!? Back up, all 3 of you," Shawn paused to jump backwards, causing him to smack into the wall. "Leave me the hell alone!" Shawn shouted off the top of his lungs and ran as fast as he could down the hallway. Randy watched him go and turned to go after him. Dave grabbed him and nodded his head no. "But... What the hell was he saying?" Randy asked.

When both pairs of eyes landed on Ric, he decided to spill the beans and tell them what was going on. "He just had a flashback of me telling him to take the $100,000 bounty on Bill Goldberg last year... I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was remembering every single little detail, then snapped out of it just as quick as he fell into it... This is going to be one tough ride for everyone that has ever cared about Shawn... The scary part is, this is only the beginning..."

* * *

Main Event

Shawn Michaels & ??? Vs. Christian & Tyson Tomko

Shawn came out to the D-X music and did the routine on his own. He really missed Paul at that time. He decided since he came out a tad bit earlier he would inform the fans as to where Paul was. _Oh boy, I'm gonna get in trouble for this..._ Shawn thought to himself but immediately discharged it. He didn't care about getting in trouble anymore. All he cared about was having fun. "Hello there boys and girls," Shawn paused and listened to the fans reaction. It was pretty loud, but not as loud as it was when Paul was around. "I guess you guys are wondering where my usual tag partner is, right? For 4 days straight everyone has been asking me where Triple H was and what had happened to him. Well, I'm going to tell you guys right here and right now. It's time for the truth to come out... Ya see... 5 days ago, Trips and I were in Miami enjoying the sun. We went out to eat... And... Got attacked in the parking lot. Hunter has broken some ribs and wasn't medically cleared to wrestle tonight... And as for me... Well... Everyone knows how controlling the great Vin Man is... He doesn't want me to wrestle. He thinks I'm still 20 years old and I can't take care of myself. Well, Vin Man, you're wrong! Both you and Hunter are wrong for not believing in me! I might be stupid, but I know how to think for myself. It's all still in here, Vince," Shawn stepped closer to the camera and pointed at his head. He stepped back and looked at the crowd. "Now... I spoke to Bischoff earlier and he agreed to let me have a match with those no good sons of bitches that caused all of this in the first place on one condition... That being I find a tag partner. So... Allow me to introduce to you... My partner for this evening. He is... The one and only... 'Big Daddy Cool' Kevin Nash!" Shawn yelled.

Kevin came out to a somewhat cheering crowd. They were rather confused as to why Shawn would pick Kevin Nash over everyone else. Nash was deeply involved with TNA the last time the fans checked, and Shawn didn't seem to notice. Kevin got in the ring and gave Shawn a hug. The two did the 'Kliq' version of a high five. They walked around and observed the crowd while waiting for Christian and Tomko to come out. Once they did, they headed down to the ring with cocky smiles on their faces. Kevin had to struggle to hold Shawn back. "Shawn! Shawn, calm down!" Kevin shouted but to no avail. Shawn squirmed out of Kevin's grip and leapt over the top rope as Christian and Tomko were about to enter the ring. He landed right on top of Christian and his boots smacked Tomko in the face.

Mike Chioda ran out of the ring to break up a fight, if one occurred between the two, and check on Shawn. He wasn't supposed to do those things because of his head, but Chioda knew Shawn didn't give a damn about what the doctors told him. All he cared about was beating the shit out of the people who hurt Paul. Chioda assisted Shawn back into the ring and made him sit down. "You ok, Michaels? Where are you?" Chioda asked, obviously checking for a concussion. Shawn sighed as he regained himself and caught his breath. _Damn that felt good!_ He thought to himself. "Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. And before you ask, it's October 11th. I'm fine, Mike. I didn't hit my head." Shawn replied and got up. "You sure you're ok, Shawn? You look a little woozy."

Shawn turned to face Kevin Nash, who was usually quite about things and trusted his friends instincts. This time Kevin thought differently. Sure, he had no idea what the hell was going on or why Shawn told Chioda he didn't 'hit his head.' Why would they care anyway? Shawn usually got banged up in matches and he was always fine in the end. "Yeah, I'm fine. I don't know why you're so concerned. I'm ok. Really." Shawn stated. He waited in the ring for either Christian or Tyson to come in so they could get the match started. Chioda saw how impatient Shawn was and walked over to the top rope. "Hey! Can one of you get in here now?!" He yelled. Christian stirred around and got up. He shook Tyson and helped him up as well.

Tomko jumped into the ring and got ready to fight. Chioda signaled for the bell and made both Nash and Christian stand on the ring apron on their respective side of the ring. Shawn looked as if he had hurt himself and played possum to lure Tyson in. As soon as Tyson got close to Shawn, he received a big boot to the face. Shawn nipped up and started to beat Tomko down. Christian, being the busy-body he is, ran into the ring and pulled Shawn off of Tyson. He delivered a very powerful Suplex that left Shawn writhing on the ground in pain. Chioda chased Christian back to his corner and waited for Tomko to tag him in.

Christian ran into the ring and continued the assault on Shawn's lower back, not knowing that the older man had no idea why it hurt so bad to get hit there. Shawn closed his eyes and let out a hoarse scream of pain as Christian kneed him in the back for the 5th time. Chioda looked on thoughtfully, thinking of whether or not he should stop Christian. He knew it would be a stupid idea on his behalf, but he never saw so much pain in Shawn's eyes since his match with Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14. Chioda knelt down to face Shawn and was about to say something to him, but was shoved away by Christian. "Get out of here!" He shouted at Chioda. Kevin came through the ropes, but was held back by Chioda. "You're gonna let him treat you like that!?" He shouted. Mike forced him to go back on the ring apron. "One more time and he's out of here. His attitude is ticking me off. I should just give Michaels a chair... And turn my back to the match." Chioda stated.

"Oh God!" Shawn's hoarse shout made Chioda flip around. Tomko and Christian were double teaming him. Chioda ran over to try and separate the two on one beat down, but was unsuccessful. Nash ran into the ring to help Shawn as Chioda called for the bell. Nash overpowered Christian and Tomko. He got them away from Shawn so Chioda could see if he was ok. He eventually knocked the both of them out of the ring. Chioda was already hovering over to Shawn to see if he was ok. "You want the doctor, Shawn?" He asked. Each question received a nod 'no' from Shawn, who remained face down on the ring apron. Nash wondered over to Shawn and knelt down at his side as well. "Want a hand up?"

Shawn looked up and saw Kevin looking down at him. Chioda tried to interject. "Ah! No! Not a very good idea..." Chioda's voice trailed away as Nash extended his hand to Shawn and helped him up. Shawn winced and put a hand to his back, then turned to Chioda. "Relax, dorkwad. I'll live." Shawn told him harshly. Mike nodded his head, trying to accept what Shawn had just told him and ignore the attitude at the same time. It was pretty hard to deal with him these days. "You sure you're ok, though... Right?" Kevin asked Shawn one more time.

"For the first and last time... Yes! I'm fine... So why don't you just worry..." Shawn's voice was cut off by Christian knocking him to the ground. Tyson hit Kevin with a steel chair, knocking him to the ground as well. Christian turned and grabbed Mike Chioda. "Let me go! I'm not a wrestler! I'm a referee for goodness sake!" Mike shouted at him. Christian threw him to the ground and turned his attention towards Shawn. Shawn started to scoot backwards into the turnbuckle area, until the brolic figure of Tyson Tomko stopped him from moving back anymore. Shawn's eyes widened slightly, as he slowly raised his head to look at Tyson. He rolled to the side and got ready for a fight, however, Tyson and Christian didn't intend for Shawn to battle back. They set him up for a conchairtoe, and successfully delivered it.

Shawn lay on the apron, head propped on the second chair. He wasn't completely unconscious at first. However, his eyes were glassy and unfocused. He stared into space, where he saw another flashback.

_Kane had entered the ring where Shawn and Triple H stood, about to shake hands. The two looked at each other innocently and denied telling Kane to come out. Kane glared at Triple H before turning his bottom half to Shawn and kicking him in the face._

Kevin had gotten up and wrestled the chair from Tyson's grip. Believe it or not, Christian and Tomko fled from the ring and lurked around the commentating booth and the ring announcer. Kevin bent down to observe Shawn when Evolution's music started to blare over the loudspeakers. "Shawn? Shawn? Can you hear me, man? Come on... Help is on the way..." Shawn continued to stare.

_Shawn rolled to the outside of the ring and landed on the floor with a thump. He crawled over to the entranceway of the TitanTron and saw Triple H had already made it backstage. Kane joined him and kicked his head into the ring post. Shawn felt an extreme pain in his head and slowly crumpled to the floor. Kane grabbed him by the waist of his pants and threw him back into the ring. _

Randy Orton and Batista ran through the crowd and chased Christian and Tomko far away from the ring. Ric Flair and Mike Chioda had joined Kevin. "Is he ok?" Ric asked. Mike glanced at Shawn's eyes and knew instantly he wasn't really conscious. "Nah. He's not with us right now." Mike stated. Obviously not the right choice of words, but he got his point across. "I still don't understand why everyone is so concerned. It's just a bump on the head..." Kevin stated. Ric and Mike looked at one another, now realizing that nobody had took the time to tell Kevin about Shawn.

_Kane grabbed hold of a chair and tossed it into the ring. Shawn remembered thinking about how nervous he was faking this stunt, especially since it was the first time they used it on national television. Kane grabbed Shawn by the hair and put the chair around his neck. Flat part on the bottom so his back rested on it, and the rounded part around his neck so it could "hurt" him. Kane climbed up to the second turnbuckle and steadied himself for a moment, before jumping off and stomping his weight down on the back of the chair._

"Sure it's just a bump on the head... But you never know what that can lead to... We're very cautious about chair shots these days. People are catching concussions left and right... On the easiest shots, too!" Mike hated lying, but it was needed at this moment. They were in a tight spot, and it was then that Mike realized he was a lot like the old Shawn then he gave himself credit for. Kevin nodded his head. "Yeah, I guess you're right... It's also because some of the guys don't realize how hard they hit... And where, for that matter." Kevin replied with a smile.

_The rounded part of the chair closed on his throat, a bit harder than he expected. Shawn writhed on the ground in pain, spitting blood out of his mouth. Kane laughed on and on at the action. Jim Ross was the first one in the ring to check Shawn out and three referees soon followed. Shawn tried to talk to them and tell them he was ok, but all they heard was a gurgle and a groan because of the blood. A trainer came down to the ring and told Shawn to relax, then took the chair off and tossed it to the side. Shawn tried to roll away, but the referees grabbed him and held him down so they could get a neck brace on him and get him on a stretcher. _

Kevin and Dave grabbed an arm and half dragged Shawn up the ramp and got him backstage. Eric Bischoff was there waiting for them. "Is he ok? Vince is gonna kill me!!!" He shouted and, along with Mike Chioda, hovered over Shawn to check for a concussion. Kevin looked at the members of Evolution. "Uh... What the hell is going on around here?"

* * *

**A/N: Hola people! I'm back . . . Again! Sorry for not updating . . . I would've had this chapter up in Feb but my mother passed away on the 10th . . . Things have been hectic in my house, so I laid off for a little while . . .**

**I decided to update the main characters, being the Superstars I had on there aren't even in it anymore. I fixed the summary up a little . . . I'm keeping it because it's the first one I had for the story and it still suits it . . . Once again I should smack myself for forgetting about Chyna . . . Don't worry, she'll be in the next chapter . . . Just as annoying as ever . . . Mleh . . . XD**

**Sorry... Had to fix it up a little bit... I think my spell checker changed 'Ric' to 'Mic'... Ugh... I just noticed it now... The next chapter, 'HBK MIA', will be up by Thursday night. It's pretty much based on the title... LOLZ...**

**Edit: One moreeeeeeee**


	9. Missing Wrestlers and Personal Issues

Like Old Times

Raw  
Live: Birmingham, Alabama  
10/18/04

Paul wandered around aimlessly backstage for a little while trying to find out what had happened last week on Raw, but, more importantly, find Shawn. He stopped walking around once he saw Evolution standing near their locker room, speaking to the 6'8" Kevin Nash. Paul ran over to them excitedly and tapped Kevin on the back. "Hey Kev! Long time no see!" He yelled. Kevin turned around and looked at him before saying anything. Once he noticed it was Paul, he slightly bent over to give his old friend a hug. "Ah! It's only been about a year, Paul. How are you feeling? I heard you were a bit under the weather last week."

"Eh... I'm ok, thanks for asking. I'd actually feel much better if I knew where Shawn was and if somebody cared to tell me what the hell happened last week." Paul stated and looked at the members of Evolution. They looked at Kevin. Kevin's smile had faded. Once Paul looked back at Kevin, Kevin looked at Evolution. Who was going to tell Paul what had happened to Shawn the previous week? Nobody wanted to get punched by Paul "Triple H" Levesque...

"Well," Kevin started, breaking the silence. Paul looked at him now, his eyes much more intense than before. "Ya see... Last week I was at a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale... Relaxing... When I got this phone call from Shawn, saying he had this problem and he needed my help. There was a match last week... Shawn and a partner of his choice against Christian and Tyson Tomko. Shawn picked me as his partner... But... Those two weren't interested in a fair fight. They pissed Mike Chioda off so much that he disqualified them. After the match... They jumped me and threw me out of the ring, knocked the ref on his ass, and gave Shawn a HUGE conchairtoe! They knocked him out so bad; he was in la-la land with his eyes open." Kevin stated.

Paul's face turned from its normal color to red with anger. "WHAT?! HOW COULD YOU THREE LET HIM WRESTLE!? I ASKED YOU TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON HIM FOR ME! NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH SHAWN NOW! KEVIN DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON RECENTLY! I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED YOU THREE TO STOP HIM FROM DOING ANYTHING STUPID!" Paul yelled, making all three members of Evolution lower their heads, clearly ashamed of themselves.

Randy raised his hand like a school child to protest against Paul's statement. There was obviously something Paul didn't know that he needed to know. "You see, Paul... We honestly tried to help," Paul growled at the 24 year olds statement. "Honestly! Please, just listen," Randy paused again to see if Paul would interject, but he didn't, so he continued. "Last week, we did just like you asked. We tried to keep an eye on Shawn, but he was literally the first one to the arena. He locked himself in the D-X locker room and stayed there. Once more people started coming, he started to walk around. He must've got a hold of Eric Bischoff and threatened him for a match before we got to Eric, because when we got there, he was ashamed of himself and trembling a bit. We got Eric to admit he made a match for Shawn and we left to see him... Davey boy over here broke down the door... And that's when Shawn started acting all weird..." Randy ended his statement by looking over at Ric Flair.

Paul looked over at Ric as well, making him decide to talk. "Well... Shawn noticed that it said 'Shawn Michaels' on his door rather than 'D-X' and he swore it didn't say his name before he went back there. So... Sure enough... We looked at the wall straight across from the locker room and saw the 'D-X' nameplate hanging up. Next to it were pictures of both you and Shawn. The picture of you had a big 'X' across it. There was an arrow pointing to Shawn's picture. The arrow led to words which said 'you're next.' He tried to walk away from us... But... I think he tripped... Next thing we know, he's talking about a bounty..."

Paul hushed Ric there. "'Bounty?' What bounty?" He asked. Randy looked at Paul. "You don't remember, champ? The $100,000 bounty you put on Bill Goldberg last year. There was this one night Ric approached Shawn and started lecturing him.... Anyway... Shawn said 'don't want the bounty.' Then when Ric asked him about it, Shawn freaked out and jumped up, then ran off down the hall." Randy finished telling the story. Dave crossed his arms over his chest. "His attitude is completely different..."

Paul nodded his head."Yeah? Tell me something I don't know... I kinda figured that out after being in Miami with him 2 weeks ago... He's a changed man... Sadly, it's not for the better... I'm getting really worried over this..." Paul sighed and lowered his head. It was coming to the point where he didn't know what to do anymore for Shawn. _You can't help a man who can't help himself_. Shawn's voice rang in his ears. That was one of the smartest things Shawn had ever told him in the old D-X days. "You think he's having flashbacks or something?" Randy asked.

"What do you mean? Flashbacks due to his concussion?" Batista asked Randy. Kevin's eyes slightly widened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa... What concussion?" He asked. Randy smacked himself on his forehead. "Dammit... Nobody told Kevin what's been going on here lately with Shawn..." Ric looked at Randy in shock. "What do you mean by that?! He doesn't know?" Ric asked. Randy nodded his head no.

"Wait... What's wrong with Shawn? What's going on here?" Kevin asked. He turned to Paul and stared him down. Paul looked at the members of Evolution, who were all doing the same. "Ok, then. I'll tell him," Paul paused to clear his throat. "About a month ago, Shawn was in a No Holds Barred match against Kane at Unforgiven... Kane kinda... Um... Hit Shawn too hard in the head too many times... Shawn collapsed after the match," Paul paused to inhale deeply. He was being a bit too dramatic. "We rushed him to the hospital. The doctor told us he had suffered a really serious concussion... And that resulted in Shawn getting Retrograde Amnesia... He forgot a total of 7 years, so Vince brought back D-X to help ease Shawn's mind. He was given medication to help regain his memory... I don't know if it's working or not... He hasn't said anything about a flashback to me... Jesus Christ I wish I knew where he was..." Paul stated and lowered his head. Randy put an assuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, H... We'll find Shawn and bring him back."

Paul looked up at Randy and smiled, saying 'thanks' with the gesture. He was about to speak but Kevin cleared his throat. "You're damn right you're going to find him! Why didn't you guys tell me this last week? I would've stopped him from going into that match," Kevin shouted. "Well... Like it or not, he wouldn't have listened to you. He hasn't listened to Paul or any of us for that matter... If he doesn't listen to us what makes you think he's going to listen to you?" Batista asked him. Kevin sighed and looked down, then looked at Batista. "I could've tried."

Vince McMahon walked over to the group of wrestlers and stepped in the center of them. "I'm only over here for one reason, and I'm going to find out what I want to know before I walk away. No small talk. No chit chat. I'm getting down to business, got it," When everyone nodded their heads, Vince exhaled deeply and continued. "Good. Where the HELL is Shawn?" He asked. The 5 wrestlers all looked around at one another, confused and ashamed. "We don't know, Vince..." Randy answered for the group and put his head down.

Vince smacked himself in the head and sighed, trying to keep his cool. "Jesus Christ, this is bad... I don't have a clue as to where he is... Rebecca doesn't know, his parents don't know... I was hoping you guys knew," Vince looked at the group. "Sorry, Vince... We don't... We were trying to figure that out before you walked over here. You checked with Becky and his parents?" Paul asked. Vince nodded his head yes. "Becky said she hasn't spoken to him since last week, and his parents didn't even know what I was talking about..," Vince sighed again, then snapped his fingers and looked at Paul. "Marty Jannetty is with us tonight," Vince paused and saw Paul roll his eyes, so he reached back slowly and smacked Paul upside the head. "He can help us out here, Paul! So bite your damn tongue and make peace with him!"

Paul narrowed his eyes angrily, but nodded his head in agreement with Vince. _Anything to appease him..._ He thought to himself. "So... Where is he?" Paul asked and looked around the hallway sarcastically. Vince growled and tried to keep himself calm. "He should be here soon. I only called him to invite him here an hour ago, being he was in the area... When he comes I'll send Shane to get you." Vince stated and left the group.

Paul looked at Evolution and Kevin. "Why were you so mad about Marty coming here? I thought you two got along." Batista stated. Paul looked over at him momentarily before looking at the floor. "I don't like him, mainly because he helped Shawn get so messed up when they first came here. He got him hooked on pills," Paul was going to continue, but was cut off by Kevin. "Hey now, Paul! That's not completely fair! Marty didn't tie Shawn down and force him to take pills... Shawn did it of his own free will," Now it was Paul's turn to cut Kevin off. "Drunken will... He was drunk, Kevin! You can't think when you're bombed!" Paul shouted. "Ok, fine. Shawn may have been drunk, but that doesn't change the fact that Marty did NOT force Shawn to take drugs... And YOU know that!"

Evolution watched as the two former members of the Kliq stared each other down. Randy scratched his head uncomfortably and looked at Batista. "Do you think there's any way we can get them to stop looking like they're about to kill each other?" He asked. Batista nodded his head no, while still staring at Kevin and Paul. "I don't think so, rookie. Nothing will stop them from killing each other..," Batista paused to look at Randy and Ric. "That's why I hate having friends that disagree with me. They either agree with me or... Well... There isn't another option," Batista stated and looked back at Kevin and Paul. "I don't see why anybody would want to disagree with you, Dave," Once Batista heard Ric's voice, he looked over at him. "What was that?" He asked. Ric, still facing Paul and Kevin, chuckled. "Nothing, Dave."

Shane McMahon walked over to the group and tapped Randy on the shoulder, making him turn to look at him. "What's going on here," Shane asked, nudging his head in Paul and Kevin's direction. Randy looked at them, then back at Shane. "Well… Paul is pissed because he got here and found out about what happened to Shawn last week and is pretty damn angry because Shawn wasn't supposed to be in the ring at all… Oh, and he's missing. Nobody knows where he is," Shane's smirk made Randy stop talking. "Obviously… If somebody knew where he was, he wouldn't be missing…" Shane stated, making Randy narrow his eyes angrily at him. "Ok, smartass… Do you want to know the deal or not?" Randy asked.

Shane sighed and dropped his smile. "Ok, I'm sorry. What's the deal," Shane asked. "Ok… Well... Paul is just really aggravated that Shawn is missing and Kevin let him compete last week… He's even more annoyed that Marty Jannetty is coming here tonight… Oh, and he's pissed at me, Dave and Ric for not watching Shawn last week." Randy stated, making Shane sigh. "I was just about to ask if you guys were supposed to babysit Shawn last week... And out of pure curiosity… How the hell were you guys and Kevin supposed to keep Shawn from wrestling when everything he does is unpredictable? Doesn't Paul realize Shawn is back to his old ways and he can have an outburst at any time?" Shane asked as he rubbed his head.

Randy smiled. "Thank you. Finally somebody understands where I'm coming from... Do you know where he could be," Randy asked, making Shane nod his head. "No. But I can assure you, if I did, I would be out there quicker than Paul could sniff out a liar," Shane replied, making Randy chuckle. "Anyway… Shawn completely flipped on everyone last week… Especially when he had a flashback..," Randy stated. Shane looked at him in a weird way. "'Flashback?' What kind of flashback," He asked. "Well… Shawn locked himself in his locker room after talking to Eric Bischoff about getting a match… So Dave busted down the door so we could talk to him. Shawn noticed it said 'Shawn Michaels' on the locker room door instead of 'D-X,' which he claimed it said beforehand. Anyway, we looked over at the wall and saw the D-X nameplate hanging on it next to pictures of Shawn and Paul… There was a big red 'X' over Paul's picture and an arrow pointing to Shawn's, with the words 'you're next' under it. Shawn went to go walk away, I think… But he tripped… And started talking about a bounty. Ric knew exactly what he was talking about… Something about last year when Paul placed the $100,000 on Goldberg… But as soon as he questioned Shawn about it, he jumped up and ran off…" Randy explained. Shane nodded his head. "Ok… That's a good thing… He's starting to remember stuff…"

"What? You mean you knew about it," Randy asked. Shane nodded his head again. "Yeah. After Shawn and Paul got attacked in Miami and were brought to the hospital, the doctor ran a CAT scan on Shawn and diagnosed him better than the other doctor. He prescribed some sort of medication for Shawn… Amytal, I think… It's supposed to help him regain his memories… It's great that it's working… It's just sad to know he could be having dozens of flashbacks right now and he's not getting any explanations for them…" Shane exhaled deeply and nodded his head in disappointment. "It's a tough situation…" Randy agreed.

Dave decided to turn his attention towards Shane and Randy. "What's going on here," He asked, making both men sigh. "Nothing, Dave. Just discussing Shawn and the recent turn of events. Are they still at each other's throats," Randy asked. All three men paused to look over at Paul and Kevin. They seemed to have calmed down and were now talking in a civilized manner while Ric looked on. "Nope. Ric got between them and told them they needed to focus on getting Shawn back... So they stopped arguing…" Dave replied. Randy nodded his head. "Although Paul should have told Kevin about what happened to Shawn, they shouldn't let this argument ruin their friendship. Jannetty isn't worth it, if you ask me." Randy stated. "You're absolutely right," Shane, Randy and Dave turned to see Kevin, Paul and Ric looking at them. "Jannetty isn't worth our time, so let's drop the subject and move on to more important things." Kevin's voice continued. "Shane… I need to talk to you. Care to accompany me to the D-X locker room?" Paul asked, making Shane shrug his shoulders and nod his head. "Sure."

Shane followed Paul down the hallway until they reached the D-X locker room door, which Paul held open for his brother in law, then walked in and slammed it shut, making Shane jump. "What's on your mind, Paul?" Shane asked. He watched as Paul paced back and forth a little, then suddenly stopped and turned to face Shane. "Jesus Christ, Shane! What the fuck am I going to do about Shawn!? That screwed up mother fucker could be ANYWHERE! I don't know what to do about him anymore, Shane. I begged your dad in Miami… I said 'please, don't let him anywhere near an arena.' But NO! Your dad had to be a stubborn bastard and let Shawn into the arena… You know what, Shane-O… If your dad would have let me tell Shawn the truth from day one… You know, sit him down and tell him everything, then tell him to cool his jets until he regained his memory… We wouldn't be having this problem right now. Shawn would actually trust me enough to let me help him and not hide things from me. I ruined the trust I had with Shawn when I agreed to lie to him about everything. It's all thanks to your fucking dad, Shane! Your egomaniacal asshole of a father wouldn't let me help Shawn the right way! Instead I had to feed him lies because he's vulnerable enough to accept them without questioning them! Well the shit hit the fan now, didn't it, Shane?! Because Shawn is obviously smartening up to us, and your dad can't control him anymore. Hell, I can't even control him. Your dad is a fucking jackass, Shane! I seriously hope it doesn't rub off on you, because it's too late for my wife and you're the only McMahon kid with a fucking head on your shoulders! I can't believe the NERVE of that..," Paul's voice trailed off when he noticed what he was ranting about… _His_ father in law. And who he was ranting to…

_His_ sweet, sensitive, sympathetic, slightly ill-tempered, can-take-a-joke-if-it's-actually-funny, crazy brother in law, who people always wound up taking advantage of.

Shane's sister, who happened to be Paul's wife, gave Shane a lot of difficulty backstage, that he knew. His sister would constantly talk about him behind his back. Shane was approached by a few of the guys and was told about it, but he didn't care much. In fact, he agreed with a few of the things Stephanie called him. But how would he react to listening to a non-blood relative talking about his dad, a man Shane loved more than anything in the world? Paul looked up at Shane and saw his right hand was clenched into a tight fist, his knuckles turning white and his arm shaking in rage. Paul looked at Shane's eyes; the familiar dark brown was replaced by some odd blend of gray and blue. He knew Shane's eyes were weird sometimes, changing color at random to match his mood. Paul could tell Shane was angry, the fact that the young man's eyes were focused elsewhere, anywhere but Paul's face. "Shane… Shane I'm…" Paul tried to reach out to his brother in law, but jumped back as Shane's fist swung wildly in the air towards him. Shane stood up and moved backwards slowly, still not looking at Paul. "Just stay the fuck away from me, all right? Leave me the FUCK alone!" Shane shouted, then spun around and left the room.

Paul watched Shane slam the door behind him, then put his head in his hands and sat on a chair. _Jesus Christ, what the hell did I just do to him!?_ Paul didn't even notice Chyna walking into the locker room until she dropped her bag, which made him look up at her in shock. "What the hell did you do to Shane!? He almost clothes-lined me in the hallway trying to get away from this locker room!" She shouted. Paul winced at hearing her words. "I got pissed off about everything that's happened. Shawn being missing and all… And I took it out on Shane. I insulted his father to his face and pretty much blamed him for everything that happened to Shawn."

Paul watched as Chyna's hand came flying at his face. She smacked him as hard as she could, making him fall off the chair. "You asshole! How could you do that to your brother in law, of all people!?" She turned on her heels and stormed out of the locker room. Paul pushed himself off the floor and rubbed his cheek. "How could you call my brother in law a pussy and a wimp, if you love him so much?" Paul mumbled, more or less to himself, and sat back down to sulk.

* * *

Shane stormed around the arena feeling much like Godzilla. He wanted to grab somebody and beat the shit out of them, but quickly decided against it when he realized Vince would have a fit. He didn't want to piss his father off. No chance in hell. He looked down at his right hand and saw it was still balled into a fist, so he cautiously un-balled it and rubbed it with his left hand. He hated when people got him angry, mostly because he would let all the rage build up inside of him. He never let anybody know he was angry, it was just the type of person he was. Shane looked up and stopped walking when he saw he had reached the doors which led to the parking lot of the arena. He turned around and took 10 steps forward, when he heard the not-so-nice sound of the doors opening. "Hey, Shane-O!"

Shane stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face the source of the voice. _Tomko and Christian_… The two saw how angry Shane was and regretted stopping him in the first place. "Hey, Shane. What's the matter?" Tomko asked as he and Christian slowly approached Shane. "Nothing. Had an argument with the asshole of a brother in law," Shane responded, muttering under his breath. Christian and Tomko looked at one another, and then back at Shane. Christian slowly put an arm around Shane's shoulders as he stood on Shane's right side. "Why don't you come and chat with us, Shane-O," He asked. Shane nodded his head no. "I have to talk to my dad about the show…" Shane's voice trailed off when Tomko stood on Shane's left. He was really trapped now. "Come on, Shane. I insist. Walk with us."

Shane nodded his head and allowed Christian and Tomko to lead him in a direction he didn't really want to go in.

* * *

Paul went back to pacing the locker room until there was a knock on the door. "What do you want," He shouted angrily at the door, glaring at it as he did so. "Open the door, Paul. It's Kevin," Paul walked over to the door and opened it, then looked at Kevin. "What?" He asked. Kevin looked around the locker room. "Where's Shane?"

"Obviously not here," Paul replied and walked away from the door. Kevin walked in and closed the door behind him. "Ok… Well… Vince is about to have a meeting in his office, something about Marty Jannetty and his involvement later on in the night. He wants you there to hear it… And Shane. He asked where Shane was and I remembered him walking off with you, so I was sent here to fetch the kid… Where'd he go?" Kevin asked, making Paul sigh. "I kinda screamed at him and pissed him off… So he left. Hell, I don't blame him. But the problem is, I have no idea where he went."

Kevin sighed. "Well, that sucks… But we still have to go. Come on," Kevin stated as he grabbed Paul by the arm and led him out of the locker room towards Vince's office. Once they were outside the door, Kevin stopped again. "Listen… Let's not tell Vince all the details about what happened between you and Shane. We'll just say he took off without telling you where he was going," Kevin stated. "Kevin… Vince knows Shane isn't like that, especially with the war going on between us and Christian and Tomko. Besides… Chyna knows what happened. Shane nearly took her out when he was storming away from my locker room." Paul replied, making Kevin sigh. "Hopefully we got here before Joanie did. The last thing we need right now is to have her rat you out to Vince." Kevin stated, making Paul nod his head in agreement.

Kevin knocked on the door and waited patiently for somebody to either open it or tell them to come in. Linda McMahon eventually opened the door and ushered the two former members of the Kliq in, then shut it behind them. Vince looked up from his seat and raised an eyebrow. "Where's Shane? I thought you said he was with Paul…" Kevin looked back at Paul, and then looked at Vince. "I told you, Shane walked off with Paul before… I didn't know he took off not so long ago." Kevin replied.

Vince narrowed his eyes angrily and growled slightly. "That's very unlike my son. What happened," He asked. Kevin shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Paul. "He said he had something to take care of," Paul replied, looking his father in law in the eyes for the first time since he walked into the office. _Man, I can't believe I said all that shit about him…_ Vince glared at Paul. "Oh, is that so? Did he say what he had to do? Shane knows better than to just walk off." He stated and looked at Linda, who nodded her head. Paul shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't say, and I'm not nosey. I refuse to pry into his life."

Paul looked over at Vince and saw he was on the receiving end of a glare, making him look over at Linda, who was nodding her head in disappointment. "It's not like Shane to take off like that… Something must be wrong… He knows better than to leave without saying anything during times like this, when you have an enemy and you don't know where they are..," Linda turned to look at Vince. "I think we should send some of the guys to look for him." She suggested, making Vince look over at her. "He'd get even more pissed than he already is, Linda. The last thing I want to do is push him further… And Paul, so help me God, if you did something to piss my kid off, I'll make sure your life becomes a living hell. So if you have anything to say, you'd better confess it now before I blow my top." Vince shouted.

The two former members of the Kliq once again looked at each other. "Ok, Paul. Tell him the truth." Kevin stated with a sigh, making both the elder McMahons look at Paul. "I asked Shane to come to my locker room because I wanted to talk to him… I got so pissed off that I took everything out on him," Paul saw the odd looks he was getting from the McMahons. "Don't worry; I didn't put a hand on him. I just started yelling… Blaming people for things they really didn't cause… I blamed you for the situation with Shawn… I admit I'm not proud of what I said… But I eventually stopped and looked at the kid. Boy was he pissed! His hand was clenched into a fist and his arm was shaking… And Vince, I swear to you, his eyes were gray and blue. I… I tried to apologize but he freaked and left… I have no idea where he went."

Vince once again glared at Paul. "So help me God, Paul Michael Levesque, if something happens to my son I'm going to…" Vince was cut off by Linda. "Vince! Would you stop with the threats?! Paul's actions were understandable, he was angry and Shane has always been an easy target for people to vent on… What if he went with Randy, Dave and Ric? I say we send someone out to look for him. It can't be too hard… I mean… How difficult is it to lose somebody with knee braces, let alone a McMahon with knee braces? Everyone knows him…" Linda stated. Kevin sighed. "It's not really that easy, Mrs. McMahon. As you said, Shane is an easy target for people to vent their anger on. A lot of people know that, including Christian and Tomko. I don't mean to scare you… But Shane pretty much shuts down when he's pissed. I don't think he would go to Evolution to talk; he doesn't like to vent his frustrations on people. I think he's alone…"

The knock on the door made Kevin stop talking. He turned around to open it and was greeted with the face of Marty Jannetty. Kevin stepped to the side, allowing Marty to enter the office, then shut the door and turned around just in time to grab Paul and pull him away from Marty. "Hey! Didn't I say I don't want any fighting between the two of you!?" Vince growled. Marty pointed to Paul. "Vince, how are you going to shout at me about that!? All I did was walk into this godforsaken office! Your son in law is the one who tried to rip my head off," Marty paused to look at Kevin. "Thanks for the save, Kev." He stated. Kevin chuckled. "I wasn't doing it to save you, I did it to save Paul's career."

Marty turned to glare at Kevin, and then looked at Vince. "So… Is it true? What I hear about Shawn, I mean? People are spreading a shitload of rumors and I want to make sure I have the story right before I flip out on the wrong people," Marty paused again to look at Paul. "Ok… So Shawn was in a match against Kane at Unforgiven. The two were told before the match not to do the tombstone onto the steel stairs, but Kane did it anyway and gave Shawn a severe concussion, which led to amnesia. Am I right so far," Marty looked at Vince, who nodded his head yes. "Ok… So Shawn decides to uphold to his contract and continue competing for your business as long as you re-establish D-Generation X, forcing you to bring back Chyna… And meanwhile, Shawn has no idea about his condition," Marty looked for approval, so Vince nodded his head yes again. "He does now, wise guy," Paul shot back, receiving an elbow to the gut by Kevin. "So you guys basically lied to Shawn in order to keep him working for the business. Great. Well, Christian and Tyson Tomko have been making it their business to bash Shawn's skull in, and they've attempted to do so week in and week out. Until tonight, because it's quite obvious to me that Shawn smartened up and left." Marty stated, making Paul scoff. "Listen to you talk, Marty. You don't even know what the hell you're talking about!"

Vince cleared his throat, making the two back away from one another. Kevin grabbed Paul by his forearm to keep him from moving again. "Would you two stop arguing like animals?! We have more important situations to deal with! Shawn is God knows where, walking around with a huge chip on his shoulder. If we don't find him, we're fucked, in plain English. Now I need you two to get rid of your huge egos and put your fucking heads together to try and find him," Vince shouted, making Marty frown. "What's wrong, Vince?" Marty asked. Paul sighed, making Marty look at him. "We have no idea where Shane went…" He stated, making Marty nod his head in understanding. "Enough about my kid, ok? He's probably fine! Stop worrying about Shane and deal with Shawn's whereabouts!"

* * *

Before they knew it, Raw was on the air and Vince McMahon was standing in the middle of the ring with a microphone in hand. "Well… I've taken into account the actions of a certain tag team here last week on Raw… Not only did we witness the return of Kevin Nash, we also witnessed Christian and Tyson Tomko perform a sickening conchairtoe on D-Generation X member Shawn Michaels. After enduring many complaints from Triple H and Evolution, I have come to the conclusion that… Tonight on Raw, there's going to be a Handicap Tag Team Match featuring Christian and Tomko against all three members of Evolution and Kevin Nash. A match of this kind deserves to have a special guest referee. I would have offered the spot to my son, Shane McMahon, but I decided to leave this in the very capable hands of… 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin!" Vince shouted, then tossed the microphone down and left the ring.

* * *

"What!? Are you kidding me? Why am I not in that match," Paul shouted at the TV in his locker room, making Kevin chuckle. "Relax, Paul. You have to make sure your ribs are 100% before you go storming into the ring. Besides, Evolution and I will be more than happy to throw in a few punches for you. Just relax, take it slow. You have to concentrate on finding Shawn. Speaking of which, why aren't you with Marty?" Kevin asked. Paul turned to glare at him. "Mind your own business, Kevin! I could care less about what Marty is doing right now. I'm the one that has to find Shawn… And I will not relax about not being in this match! This sucks! I should be in that ring, facing those two assholes and pounding their faces in for what they did to Shawn…"

Steve Austin invited himself into the locker room and looked at both Kevin and Paul. "Listen here, son… I heard you bitching and whining about not being in this match from down the hall. You need to do exactly what Vince and Kevin told you to do, and that's finding Shawn and bringing him back here," Paul looked away from Steve, making him grab Paul's chin and force it so the two were face to face. "Do you HEAR what I'm telling you, Paul!? Cut the crap and look for Shawn! We both know what he's capable of. WE will take care of Reso and Tomko. You and Jannetty better go look for Shawn, or else I'm going to shove my Texan foot up your ass!" Steve shouted.

Paul nodded his head quickly and practically ran out of the locker room towards Vince's office, where Marty Jannetty was sitting with Linda McMahon and Chyna. _Shit. Joanie. Fuck. My. Life._ Paul wanted to either smack himself in the forehead or slam his head into the wall but decided against both actions. The three looked up at Paul once the door shut. "I was expecting to see Shane… Have you seen him recently?" Linda asked him. "No, sorry. Steve Austin was just in my locker room giving me one hell of a lecture that made me open up my eyes. I need to find Shawn as soon as possible… I can't believe Shane is still missing. No one's seen him?" Paul asked. Marty nodded his head no. "We checked with Ric Flair, Dave Batista and Randy Orton. They haven't seen the kid either."

Paul ran a hand through his hair and turned to face the wall. "I was just discussing with Linda and Marty about how Shane acts when he's pissed as hell. We all know he avoids people on purpose because of his short fuse, even if he does refuse to let people know he's angry..," Paul turned to see Chyna talking and narrowed his eyes angrily. "If you say one more thing, I swear to God, I'm going to hurt you..," Paul growled, making her scoff. "Paul, I was just saying that Shane could be vulnerable enough to talk to Reso and Tomko." Paul's eyes widened when he realized she was right. "Shit. You're completely right… Sorry for what I said… Uh… Do you want me to look for Shane?"

Linda nodded her head. "It would be nice of you to do Paul. I'm not blaming you for him storming off, but I know what you said was a factor in it. I'm really worried about him…" Paul saw the tears glistening in his mother in laws eyes and lowered his head, feeling completely ashamed. "Linda… It _is_ my fault Shane-O ran off… I pissed him off by screaming at him and blaming Vince for everything… And I pissed him off even more by trying to apologize. I think it's my responsibility to find the kid. And that's exactly what I'm going to do," Paul paused to look at Marty. "Marty, do you have Shawn's new cell phone number," He asked. Marty nodded his head. "Yes. I also have Rebecca's number," He replied. "Good. See what you can do via cell phone. I'll call you guys later." Paul stated and left the office. "Do you think he has a chance?" Marty asked. "Doubt it. Not even he knows what to expect from Reso and Tomko." Chyna replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

Paul walked the hallways of the arena looking around for any sign of his brother in law, asking random workers if they had seen him. Some nodded their heads no, others shrugged their shoulders. Only a handful of them nodded their heads yes and pointed Paul in the direction he was walking in- the parking lot. Paul sighed. He didn't know that his words could deeply affect his brother in law. He was always able to take a joke. Hell, he even made fun of his father half the time.

He stopped walking when he reached the doors leading out into the parking lot and looked around. He saw a cell phone on the floor and tilted his head like a confused puppy, then walked over to it and picked it up. It looked like Shane's cell phone, and if it was, Paul knew it would have a security lock on it. Paul paced around, trying to remember what the code was. He knew for a fact Shane told him once or twice because his hands were full and he needed Paul to make a phone call for him. Paul tried three different codes he thought Shane would have used- his wedding date, his wife's birthday and his son's birthday. Paul smirked as the phone came unlocked. _Code cracked._

Paul saw Shane had a few missed calls, which wasn't a big mystery being he made some of them. He sighed and started walking back to Vince's office when he noticed Shane's cell phone was vibrating. He looked at the caller ID and saw it was Shawn. _What the fuck!?_ Paul accepted the call. "Hello," He asked. "Paul? Why do you have Shane's cell phone," Shawn asked. Paul sighed. "Well… You're obviously not here and we're all worried about you… But now Shane vanished and we're panicking. I found his phone about two minutes ago. Enough about that. Where are you?" Paul asked. "That's a bummer. You'd better concentrate on finding the kid. Christian and Tomko will do anything to get back at us, Paul… Anyway, my whereabouts aren't important. You're obviously talking to me right now, I'm fine. Shane, on the other hand… Knowing Christian and Tomko, you have to expect the worst. Make sure you find him."

"Shawn," Paul asked. He heard Shawn sigh on the other end. "Yes," He replied. "Are you sure you're ok? And why do you think we should expect the worst with my brother in law? Wait a minute… Why are you calling his cell phone?" Paul asked. "Ok, one question at a time. Yes, I'm sure I'm ok. We all know Christian and Tomko are unpredictable. I mean… What I've been told happened to me last week… That was sickening. Who knows what they're gonna do to Shane, if they even have him at all? I'm calling Shane's cell phone because I got a text from some unknown number saying he was in trouble or something. I'm pretty damn sure that can't mean anything good… Go look for the kid."

With that said, both men hung up their respective phones. Paul jogged back to Vince's office and knocked twice before walking in. Vince and Linda looked up at him. "Guys… I have some news," Paul started, waving Shane's cell phone around in the air. When he realized it, he put it down on Vince's desk. "I was able to crack Shane's security code. I received a phone call from Shawn," Paul paused when he saw Vince pick up Shane's cell phone and look at him in an odd way. "Shawn?" He asked. Paul nodded his head. "Yeah. Shawn said he got some weird text saying Shane was in some sort of trouble, so he called Shane's cell and got me. I found it near the doors leading out to the parking lot."

Linda and Vince looked at one another. Vince suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on his desk. "God dammit! What the fuck are we going to do!? Paul, I swear to God… If those two are involved in this..," Vince's voice trailed off as Steve Austin and Kevin Nash walked into the office. "We're gonna go discuss strategy with Evolution. Wanna join us?" Kevin asked. Paul nodded his head and was about to leave with them but was grabbed by Vince. "No. You're not going anywhere with them. You're banned from ringside!" Paul's mouth gaped open as he turned to look at Vince. "What!? What the hell do you mean I'm banned from ringside!?"

"I think I mean you're not allowed near the ring during this match. Yes, that has to be it. After that little stunt you pulled earlier… Do you expect any less? Your buddies will be able to take care of Reso and Tomko. You aren't going anywhere near them. You're going to stay with Marty and Joanie in the D-X locker room for the remainder of the evening." Vince stated and stormed out of his office. "Vince," Linda attempted to call after her husband, but instead had the door slammed in her face. "Linda… What's up his ass?" Steve asked as he gestured towards the door. Linda sighed and looked at Steve. "It's all about Shane vanishing… He's wondering if he really is responsible for what happened to Shawn."

* * *

It was getting close to the main event when Vince decided to leave the cafeteria. He loved the face that nobody dared to come after him or call him. He had a reputation of being one of the meanest guys backstage when he was pissed off, surpassing even Mark Callaway and Glenn Jacobs, the Undertaker and Kane, respectively. He walked around the hallways, trying to clear his mind before going back to his office. He had been gone for over an hour, that he was sure. He wondered how much Linda was panicking by now, being both her son and her husband were nowhere to be found. But then again, anyone knew Vince went to the cafeteria to cool out when he was angry. Shane, on the other hand…. Shane just liked to stomp around like Godzilla. He found it funny how the two were so much alike, yet so different. Vince would yell back at somebody if they started an argument with him. Shane would bite his tongue and storm off, just to mentally abuse himself.

Vince walked past one of the unused areas in the arena and noticed how odd things suddenly seemed. He got a weird feeling that not only was somebody watching him, but there was also a feeling of mustiness, like when a person is being haunted. He noticed random drops of blood on the floor, leading to a door Vince never opened in all his years using the arena. He noticed blood on the handle and looked around the hallway. _How is it that nobody is in this section of the arena?_ He slowly put a hand on the handle and turned it, then pushed the door open. The room, which seemed like a conference room, was torn apart from one wall to the other. _I'm pretty damn sure it wasn't like this when we got here. God damn those drunken bastards I call employees. _Vince slowly entered the room and observed the wreckage. He noticed there were blood stains on the walls, which only seemed to freak him out more. He heard a low groan and coughing, so he looked around even harder and saw a shadow moving in the far corner of the room.

He jogged over to the shadow and, as he got closer, realized it was his 34 year old son. Shane was on his side, right arm wrapped around his stomach and left arm holding onto his right elbow. His face was almost covered in blood, both from a cut on his forehead and a broken nose. Vince knelt down next to his obviously hurting son and put a hand on Shane's shoulder, making him jump and open his eyes to look at him. "Shane… Oh my God… Shane, relax it's me, its dad… Shhh," Vince paused as Shane made eye contact with him. "Shane-O… Is anything hurt really bad? Who the fuck did this to you?!" Vince slowly pulled Shane's upper body off the floor, making the young McMahon groan. He cradled his son's upper body in his arms and listened to Shane's rapid heartbeat. "Captain… Dumbass and… His sidekick… Gigantor." Shane whispered back, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. Vince narrowed his eyes. _Christian and Tomko…_

Vince looked around the room, then back down at his son. "I need to get you out of here. Can you walk if I help you," He already knew what Shane was going to say, but he had to ask. "Yeah… I… I think so," Shane replied. Vince sighed and got to his feet, then slowly pulled Shane up and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Ok, kid, here we go..," Vince waited until they were walking at a steady pace before deciding to talk again. "Why did you storm off from Paul," He asked. Shane groaned at the amount of light in his face when they got into the hallway. "Pissed me off… And I didn't… Want to argue… Paul can get… Pretty bitchy… When you try to… Defend yourself..," Shane responded, letting his head rest on Vince's shoulder. Vince lowered his shoulder and quickly brought it up, making it bash into Shane's head. "You have to stay awake, kid, I can't drag your fat ass to the office. Come on, Shane, stay awake." Shane lifted up his head and let out a groan. "Who said… I was going to sleep?"

"I know you, Shane. I know how you get when you're half dead. You look like you're about to pass out, and I know for a fact you're only conscious and walking because I'm forcing you to. We don't have a long walk back to my office… So you'd better keep talking to me and answering my questions until we get there… Now… Do you mean Christian and Tomko are the ones who did this to you? How did they get their hands on you?" Vince asked. "Yes… I mean Christian and Tomko… They… They approached me when I was… Stomping around the hallway…"

Vince looked up to see why Shane stopped talking mid sentence. He saw Paul and Marty standing in front of them, both looking shocked at what they were seeing. But then again, who wouldn't be in shock? "Holy shit," Paul paused and walked closer to Shane and Vince, whereas Marty stayed put. "Shane-O..? What the hell happened," He shouted, making Shane wince and groan. Vince looked at the side of Shane's head sadly, then looked at Paul and frowned. "I'll give you one God damn guess as to who did this to him… Speaking of which, why aren't you in the D-X locker room?" Vince asked, trying to keep his voice at a reasonable volume as to not bother Shane too much. Vince watched as Paul's face turned red with anger. "God fucking damn Christian and Tomko… I'll fucking teach them to beat the shit out of my brother in law." Without warning, Paul stormed off in the direction of the ring, where the main event was taking place. Marty watched him go, then turned to look at Vince and Shane.

"Why the hell didn't you stop him, Marty," Vince asked. Marty shrugged his shoulders. "Vince, I think there's more important matters at hand than stopping Paul get revenge on Tomko and Christian… They have it coming to them, being they not only took out Shawn last week, but as you can see… They obviously attacked Shane… And they already caused so much damage between both Shawn and Paul..," Marty watched as Shane coughed and doubled over. "Vince, we have to get him some help… Fuck standing here and talking. Come on, let me help," Marty slowly took Shane's free arm and put it over his shoulders, then helped Vince get him to his office. They were glad to see Linda had stepped out. They sat Shane down and handed him a bottle of water. Marty looked back at Vince. "What do you want to do about him?" He asked. Vince paced around trying to think, randomly taking a look at the TV while he was doing so. He saw Paul had run down to the ring and attacked Tyson. Christian had tried to run off, but was quickly grabbed by Evolution and Kevin Nash.

Vince looked back at Shane and sighed. Although he seemed to be more conscious, that meant he was more aware of how much he was hurting. He sat next to Shane and put an arm around his son's shoulders, then pulled him closer and hugged him. "I don't know yet… Marty… What's that memo on the desk over there?" Vince asked. Marty looked over at Vince's desk and saw the paper he was talking about, then walked over and picked it up. His eyes widened as he read it, then handed it to Vince and backed away slowly.

**Bret Hart in Montreal next week.**

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**A/N: Well, I guess all I really have to say in this note is thanks for being patient while waiting for an update. I've had this chapter in the works for awhile, and I actually had a really good draft, but my laptop died and I had to rewrite it... I've been watching old wrestling clips from 1999, so that's where the random influence came from. Who knows, you long time wrestling fans might even recognize some stuff I use in future chapters.  
OoOoOo... Bret Hart in the arena in Montreal? I wonder how that's gonna go. **

**Edit: Finally done editing the chapters!!! Time for some new ones! I promise to work on this story, I Do It For You and Dark Reflections equally from here on out.**


	10. Pretty Odd Events in Montreal

Like Old Times

Raw: Montreal, Canada  
10/25/04

Paul walked into the arena in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and sighed. He absolutely hated coming to Montreal, and it was mostly because of what happened at the 1997 Survivor Series. The other part of the hatred came from the fact the Montreal fans just wouldn't let it go. He shivered as he walked past the hallway where he and Shawn ran down while trying to get out of the arena that night almost 7years ago. Paul looked up and noticed Vince and Shane further down the hall. They were on opposite sides of the hallway, talking about something. Paul could tell it was serious by the look on Vince's face and the way he was making hand gestures. He decided he should face the music sooner than later, so he walked towards them. "Hey Paul!" Vince happily greeted him, making him smile and nod his head slightly. "What's up, Vinnie Mac?"

Vince shrugged his shoulders, not really knowing what to say. "Nothing, I guess. Just talking to Shane-O," Vince gestured to his son, who was leaning against the wall with his hands behind his back. Paul noticed the disgusting cut running along Shane's forehead and the slight bruising on his nose. He growled and looked down at the floor. _Christian and Tomko are soooo gonna pay for what they did…_ He looked back at Vince. "Any word on Shawn?" He asked. Paul nodded his head no. "Nah… That's pretty much a dead issue by now. There's next to no hope about him calling me… It was just that one time during Raw last week when I had Shane's phone." Paul replied and rubbed his head. He was starting to get stressed over the situation. But then again… Who wouldn't?

"We really need to find him, ya know… I don't think it's a good idea for him to be wandering around on his own… You don't possibly think he could he here in Montreal… Do you?" Vince asked. Paul scoffed and nodded his head no. "I see no reason for Shawn to be up here… He's not thinking clearly…" Paul replied. He noticed a sudden movement, so he looked at Shane to see him nodding his head in disgust. "How would _you_ know what Shawn's thinking? He doesn't even trust you." Paul wanted to either glare at Shane or punch him in the face, but he let the words settle in and realized how much his 34 year old brother in law was right. Shawn lost all the respect he had for Paul because of the lies… So how did Paul know what he was really thinking half the time?

* * *

Outside the arena, Bret Hart was making his way up the stairs, sighing as he did so. It had been awhile since he was last in the Montreal arena. He knew there was going to be some type of hostility between himself, the McMahons and the two members of D-X. Mostly the members of D-X… Even though rumors were flying about one of them…

Bret and Shawn Michaels never got along. They had one conversation many years before, but they never really hit it off well enough to become friends. There was always an unspoken respect between them, especially during the months leading up to WrestleMania 12. Of course, after that PPV, the two started getting into arguments backstage and had to be separated as much as possible. Everybody knows what happened in 1997, so there was really no use in going over that…

Bret's son, Blade, was still a wrestling fan. He mostly watched the WWE for the wrestlers his grandfather, the great Stu Hart, had trained in the Dungeon, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit being among the list of names. The 14 year old Blade was watching Unforgiven and was trying to look bored with the match between Shawn Michaels and Kane, mostly because of the huge rivalry going on between his father and Shawn. Bret happened to walk in and catch the dazed look in Shawn's eyes… The look that WWE officials should take seriously and, when they see it, end the match. However, Shawn had always been an outstanding actor, and from what little pieces of the match Bret saw, he knew Shawn was trying to put over a concussion. Either that or exhaustion from blood loss. Maybe both.

The one thing Bret hated most about his son was the fact he was still a WWE fan. And he knew a little part of Blade was still a Shawn Michaels fan. Sure, it made him angry, but he understood where Blade was coming from. Shawn was extremely talented. No matter how much he hated him, he was able to say that. Shawn was a damn fine competitor in the ring. He had horrible social skills, but he was a great athlete, and that's what matters most in the WWE. Bret came home one day and noticed Blade's eyes were glued to the computer screen. Something he was reading him had distracted him enough that he didn't even notice his dad walked in the room. Bret slowly approached his son and looked at the screen. He saw an unofficial report saying Shawn had suffered a severe concussion and D-X was going to be brought back… That way Shawn could work through his amnesia. _Amnesia?_

Bret shook the thought out of his mind. He mostly wanted to go to the arena to see if Vince was lying about the amnesia or not. _That's not something to joke about!_ The thought of it being a huge storyline angered Bret more than actually sitting down and watching Raw with his son to see if Shawn acted any different. He did notice something odd about him… Something wasn't quite right about Shawn's stage presence. The look in his eyes didn't seem right. Bret knew this even after almost 7 years of not looking Shawn in the eyes and hearing his voice. _Something's not quite right._

Bret looked at the arena doors and noticed somebody walking towards them. The person suddenly stopped and put a hand to their head, then turned and leaned their back against the door. Finally, the person slid down the door onto the concrete floor, still holding their head. Bret was alarmed by the action and ran as fast as he could. He knelt down in next to the person. "Hey! Are you alright?"

As soon as the person moved the hand away from their face, Bret gasped in shock and almost fell backwards. _Imagine the odds… _It was Shawn!

Shawn looked at Bret and tilted his head slightly. He didn't really know who the hell he was looking at, but the face was somewhat familiar to him. He was hoping the guy wasn't one of Vince's business associates that were hired to stalk him around and grab him when they got close enough… But then again… This guy didn't look like a business man. "Who are you?" Shawn asked.

Bret raised an eyebrow at Shawn. _How the hell could he NOT know who I am? Honestly, who does Shawn think he is..? Some kind of…_ Bret's thoughts brought him back to the rumors of Shawn suffering from amnesia. _Oh shit. Maybe it's true._ Bret rubbed his head and tried to think of what to say. "Uh… My name is Bret… We used to work together… Do you remember me, Shawn?" He asked. Shawn studied Bret's face for a few moments.

_It was 1997. They were in Montreal. Shawn was wrestling Bret for the championship. He remembered Bret saying he didn't want to lose; he wanted to take the title with him to WCW. Vince wasn't so pleased about Bret leaving the company with his belt. 'What do you want me to do?' He had asked. They had come up with the perfect plan… Shawn would put Bret in the Sharpshooter, and before Bret could reverse the move like they planned it, WWE referee Earl Hebner would ring the bell and say Shawn won… And that's exactly what happened. Shawn remembered the anger flowing through the arena. Everyone was angry with him. Triple H wasn't. He knew Vince, Shane and Earl weren't either. It was one of the lowest, if not the lowest, moment in his professional career… But it felt good to have the title back around his waist._

Shawn snapped back to reality from his flashback and nodded his head slowly. "I remember you… You're Bret Hart. You're the guy I fought back in '97… I pretty much stole the title from you, didn't I?" Shawn asked. Bret sighed and once again rubbed his head. _Why, of all times and places, does he have to start in with this HERE?!_ Bret lowered his hand and looked at Shawn again. "Yes, I am Bret Hart… And I don't really want to discuss that, okay? Now… Why are you here in Montreal and why the hell aren't you with Triple H or Vince?! Do you know how dangerous it is for you out here?" Bret somewhat shouted, forgetting the whole reason why he came over to Shawn in the first place was because Shawn had somewhat collapsed holding his head.

Shawn scoffed and rolled his eyes, an action that was a lot like the Shawn Bret knew back in the day… But it wasn't how the new Shawn behaved. "I'm in Montreal 'cause I wanna be, ok, Bret? I'm pretty much sick of people telling me what to do, especially Paul and Vince. They're always on top of me. I can't take it anymore," Shawn paused for a moment to rub his head. "They're putting too much pressure on me. Paul is treating me like a child and Vince won't get off my back. It's like being back home with my dad, just 100 times worse…" Shawn stated and looked up at Bret again. Bret sighed. "I feel for you, Shawn. I really do… But you have to get inside. Believe it or not, being with Paul and Vince right now is the best thing you could do for yourself… Especially here in Montreal. You remember what happened… Don't you think it would be wise for you to try and stay away from the Canadian fans?" Bret asked.

Bret glared at Shawn when he shrugged his shoulders in response. "Want to hear the truth, Bret? I actually don't care. I really don't. I don't remember everything about that night, all I remember was the huge plan to screw you and get the belt away so you couldn't take it down to WCW. Little bits and pieces of the match, that's about it…" Bret decided it would be best if he interrupted Shawn. "Ok, I understand… Listen… You may not remember the whole night, but I do. And I'm telling you that it's really not safe for you out here. I think you need to come in the arena with me. We have to go find Vince."

Bret stood up and extended his hand for Shawn to grab. "I don't want to go in there," Shawn protested. Bret growled and let his arm drop to his side. "Shawn! You were going to go in there before you collapsed, weren't you? What's the difference in going in there with me," Bret asked. Shawn scoffed again. "You want to bring me to Vince and Paul. I was going to sneak around… The security guards know me… The only problem would have been running into somebody who would have told Vince I was hanging around…" Shawn replied. Bret rolled his eyes at Shawn's statement. "You're acting more childish than I imagined you would..," Bret paused to look Shawn in the eyes. "Listen, Shawn… Whether you want to or not… You HAVE to go inside. Ok?" Bret asked and once again extended his hand. He was surprised when Shawn grabbed it and got up.

Bret and Shawn walked into the arena and made their way down the hall. Bret had a sickening feeling of déjà vu… Whereas Shawn looked around in amazement and tried hard to remember if he had been there before. While looking down a certain hallway, Shawn flashed back and saw himself and Paul running through that same hallway, trying to get away from WWE road agents and wrestlers. _Escaping after the Screwjob._ Bret stopped walking when he noticed Shawn had slowed down. He turned to look at him and tilted his head, wondering what was wrong. "This hallway," Shawn started, almost as if he read Bret's mind. "It's so familiar…" He continued. Bret sighed and grabbed a hold of Shawn's arm. "That's because you used to frequent this hallway a lot back in the 90's… This was your main hang out spot," Bret lied through his teeth. He really didn't want to tell Shawn what he used the hallway for… Until he saw the look of skepticism on Shawn's face. "Ok, ok. That's a lie… You and Paul ran down this hallway to get out of the arena after our match… But don't tell anybody I told you, ok?"

Shawn smiled at Bret. "Thanks for being honest with me… It's nice to hear somebody tell me the truth..," Bret raised an eyebrow and once again looked into Shawn's eyes. "What are you talking about," He asked. Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever it sounds like, I guess. Nobody tells me the truth around here… They're relying on me to remember everything and continue with this whole D-X revival storyline they have going… The only reason why D-X is back is because of my amnesia… You know all about that, don't you?" Shawn asked. Bret nodded his head. "Yes… I do. And I'm sorry about that, Shawn… I really wish I could help you… Right now the only way I know how is to get you to Paul and Vince… Believe me… That's the best place for you while you're here…"

The two once again made their way down the hall to try and find Vince and Paul. Bret was racking his mind trying to remember Vince's favorite hangout spot in the arena, but it wasn't working out too well. Anyone who knew Vince knew he liked to hang out in the cafeteria, but Bret figured he wouldn't be there before the show started. Bret was about to turn down a different hallway when he heard that ever so familiar voice… "How would _you_ know what Shawn's thinking? He doesn't even trust you." It was Shane McMahon! Bret turned down the other hallway, dragging Shawn behind him (and almost making him trip in the process).

Vince was the first to notice the two. He looked up at them in shock, making Shane and Paul turn to look at them as well. Shawn didn't quite understand what they found so odd about Bret being so civil to him. "What the...?!" Paul went to continue, but Bret cut him off. "Hey, nice to see you too… Look who I found roaming around by himself," Bret paused to lightly push Shawn in front of him. "He should _**not**_ be out there by himself. You know it," Bret paused to point at Shane. "You know it," Bret pointed at Paul. "And you _definitely_ know it!" Bret pointed at Vince. "But he doesn't know it…" Shane mumbled and looked away, making Bret glare angrily at him.

"What the hell are you doing in Montreal, Shawn," Paul shouted. When Shawn was about to answer, Paul cut him off. "And why the fuck haven't you called me? Or your wife? Don't you know how much we worry about you, Shawn?! You can't do that, ok? You can't run off and not call anyone. It's too dangerous," He shouted. Bret and Shane stared at Paul in shock. "Paul… Really, now? Did you feel it necessary to scream at him the minute he steps back into your life?" Shane asked, making Paul turn to look at him. "One more word out of your mouth and I'll punch your damn teeth out." Paul growled and then proceeded to grab Shawn by the collar of his hoodie.

Vince was about to step in until he saw somebody else move first… Bret shoved Paul away from Shawn and stood in the middle of them. "Lay one fucking hand on either Shawn or Shane and I'll break that damn honker of yours before you can say 'Pinocchio,'" Bret paused and realized what he was doing. He saw Shane looking at him in an odd way. "Bret… Relax… You don't have to stand up for me." Shane told him, making Bret nod his head no. "Don't say anything, Shane," Bret looked back at Paul. "Now you'd better start treating Shawn right. And you know damn well what I mean. Lying to him isn't going to get you anywhere…" He stated. Vince took that moment to clear his throat. "Bret… I'd like to speak with you. Come with me, please… You too, Shane." Bret looked Paul in the eyes once more before pushing passed him and walking away with the McMahons.

Once they were out of earshot, Vince turned to look at Bret, who shrugged his shoulders. "What," He asked. "Why the hell would you get involved in that, Bret!? You don't like Shawn and Paul doesn't like you. I know Shawn doesn't remember, but he doesn't like you either. Why would you care about what happened between those two?" Vince asked. Bret sighed. "It doesn't matter whether I like him or not, Vince… You guys aren't treating Shawn right. There's something wrong here, Vince… And it's not going to take long before he snaps."

* * *

Paul turned to look at Shawn and narrowed his eyes angrily. "I'm so pissed off at you right now I don't know what to ask you first," Paul stated. "Who said I'm going to answer any of your fucking questions, Paul?" Shawn asked. Paul noticed the extremely pissed off look on Shawn's face and grew a little concerned for his own well being. Although he hadn't seen that face in several years, he remembered what happened to the people the face was directed at. Paul sighed and ran his hands through his hair. As he did so, the fireworks went off; signifying Raw was now on the air. "Shit… We have to go to the locker room..," Paul looked up at Shawn and saw he wasn't about to go anywhere. He had crossed his arms over his chest and was staring at Paul with the extremely pissed off face. "Uh… Can we at least talk there?" He asked.

Shawn didn't budge. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell I did to Bret Hart back in '97," Shawn replied, making Paul smack himself in the forehead. "Oh sweet Jesus… It took amnesia from a concussion to give you a conscience!? Please, Shawn… Don't mourn over the past. It's done. Let's move on to the future," Paul stated, sounding kind of pissed off with the fact Shawn wasn't listening. "No can do, Paul. Either you tell me what I did or I'm out of here. It's as simple as that." Shawn replied. When a few moments passed without Paul saying anything, Shawn turned to leave, making Paul grab his arm. "Ok… Ok… I'll tell you," Paul paused, making Shawn turn to look at him. "Ok… There was a lot of hostility between you and Bret… For years. You guys weren't friends and you didn't like each other but you had an unspoken respect for one another. Anyway… In 1997, Bret asked Vince for some kind of weird ass raise… Some new kind of contract or something… Vince refused to give it to him… So Bret signed a deal with WCW, only problem was, he was the champion. And everyone knows you can't leave with the title… He didn't want to lose it in Montreal… So you and Bret sat down and mapped out the match. You would put him in the Sharpshooter and he would reverse it. The match would end in a no contest and he would remain champion… So you and Vince started talking… And you basically asked him what he wanted you to do… So you came up with the perfect plan: to get the referee to ring the bell and say Bret tapped when you put him in the Sharpshooter and when he was trying to reverse it..," Paul paused for a moment to think if he left out anything. "You got the title and Vince got a black eye, not to mention, several million dollars worth of damage to his cameras at ringside…"

"All because we got the title off of him when he was switching companies? That's what the big fuss is about," Shawn asked, making Paul nod his head. "Yes, Shawn… That's what the big fuss is about..," Paul paused for a moment and watched as Shawn let his arms drop to his side. The two started walking to the D-X locker room. "I'm glad you don't really feel all too guilty about what happened all those years ago… Cause I wouldn't like to have to smack you upside the head and tell you to get over it, ya know?" Paul asked and chuckled dryly. Shawn scoffed. "Who said I don't feel bad about what I did? What kind of a conceited asshole would lie to somebody's face one minute and go out and do something completely different the next? Jesus," Shawn paused for a moment to rub his head. Things were starting to fit together like a puzzle now. "That's why you guys won't tell me everything… You don't want me asking too many questions and you don't want me to know about how much of a jackass I was…"

Paul's head jerked up instantly to look at Shawn. "Don't you dare fucking say that about yourself! You are not a jackass. You never were and you never will be. Ok, maybe you were a little cocky, brash and arrogant… But that's the attitude that created D-Generation X and made us who we are today," Paul paused for a moment when it looked like Shawn wanted to say something. "But what if somebody doesn't necessarily remember the person they are today?" Shawn asked, making Paul turn to glare at him. "No need to say something like that, Shawn… I'm trying to say… That D-Generation X helped this business and changed it forever..," Paul paused when he saw none other than Christian walking down the hallway, heading in the same direction Vince took Bret and Shane. "I wonder what he's up to… Creep…" When Paul finished his statement, Christian turned to look at him. Paul couldn't quite translate the expression on his face, but he knew it wasn't the same one Christian would usually use when looking at the two members of D-Generation X.

* * *

Bret Hart paced back and forth in the hallway, trying to let everything settle in. First Shawn gets hurt in a match and then Vince brought back D-X to keep things from getting too confusing… Then Jay "Christian" Reso starts attacking Shawn from behind by hitting him in the head? Bret was pretty close to Christian at one point, and he knew that sounded nothing like him. He had to talk to him… Pronto. Bret eventually looked up and saw Christian turn down the hallway, so he jogged over to him and gave him a quick hug. "Hey, Jay," Bret greeted him. "Hi, Bret," Christian returned the gesture. The two separated. "So… What is this about?" Christian asked, making Bret sigh. "I think you know damn well what this is about, Jay..," When Christian still looked confused, Bret decided to spill the beans. "It's about what you've been doing to Shawn," Christian rolled his eyes and went to walk away, but Bret grabbed his arm. "Listen to me, Jay. There is something really wrong with this whole situation, discounting Shawn's condition. I don't understand why you and Travis keep attacking him like that. There's no need to make his head injury worse, ya know… So… Are you going to talk to me?"

"You sound just like Adam," Christian shouted and yanked his arm away from Bret. "The minute I start doing something you don't like, you come out of the woodworks to try and stop me," Christian turned to look Bret in the eyes. "What I don't understand is why you give a shit in the first place. You and Shawn hate each other. Why choose now, of all times, to suddenly care about what happens to him?" Christian asked, making Bret narrow his eyes angrily. "Because I encountered him outside and was actually able to talk to him without Paul or Vince breathing down our backs. The man is really hurt, Jay. He's really confused. He lost so many memories and all you can care about is why I suddenly care? I feel bad, ok, Jay? I feel bad for Shawn and what he and his family must be going through… I actually thought it was nothing but a storyline… But after I spoke to him..," Bret paused to look Christian in the eyes again. "Vince had nothing but bad things to say when I asked him how you were doing in the business. You're lucky he doesn't fire your ass," Bret paused to hear Christian scoff. "You do know Shane is the one who keeps making excuses for you and saving your career, right," Bret smirked when Christian gave him an odd look. "Even after you and Travis beat the shit out of him last week."

"Why the hell would he do that..? Man, he's less like Vince than I thought..," Christian thought out loud, making Bret chuckle. "You have no idea how right you are when you say that..," Bret paused for a moment. "So… Are you going to talk to me? Tell me what's going on? I might be able to help you…" Christian nodded his head no. "No way… I'm too far into this. Nothing can really help me now, Bret. Not even you."

"Never say never, Jay." Bret stated. Christian sighed and ran his hands through his hair, then paced back and forth a little. He stopped in front of Bret and turned to look him in the eyes. "Ok, Bret… Here it goes…."

* * *

Vince sat down in his office and sighed. He looked over at Shane and narrowed his eyes angrily at the young man. "What's going through your head, Shane-O," He asked. Shane shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure, dad. Just feel a little weird… About how Bret was in such a rush to get out of here. I'm starting to think he called Christian up," Shane replied. Vince rolled his eyes. "So? What's it matter to you?" Vince asked. Shane turned to look at his dad. "Bret might be able to talk to him and find out why he's torturing Shawn… Might be able to talk him out of hurting him in the future," Shane saw the weird look Vince was giving him. "Come on, dad. This is a chance to stop Shawn from getting worse. I mean, if Bret is able to convince Jay…"

Vince once again narrowed his eyes at Shane. "Ok… Just don't keep your hopes up, alright?"

* * *

Paul turned on the TV in the D-X locker room and watched as the second match came on. By the time he was able to talk to Shawn and get him back to the locker room, the first match had come and gone. He sighed and watched as Shawn paced back and forth. What Shane had said earlier was really starting to get to him_. "How would you know what Shawn's thinking? He doesn't even trust you."_ He hated that he was truly starting to think Shane was right. The conversation from before, and the pure distrust in Shawn's eyes as he listened to Paul talk, was proof of it.

Paul was pretty sure that Vince hadn't scheduled them to do anything on the show, mostly because Shawn was gone and, instead of coming to Raw, Paul was supposed to be looking for him. Paul growled when somebody knocked on the door. Shawn was the closest person to it, so he opened to it and raised an eyebrow when he saw Bret. "Can I help you?" Shawn asked. Bret nodded. "Yeah. Let me in. We need to talk."

Shawn nodded his head and stood to the side, allowing Bret the chance to walk into the room. He and Paul locked eyes for a moment and exchanged an angry glare, but it stopped the moment Shawn slammed the door shut and turned to look at them. "What's going on?" Shawn asked. Paul nodded his head. "Yeah. What's up?" He asked, figuring it was best to act civil with Bret in front of Shawn. Hey, he could always plot evilly in his mind. Bret sighed. "Listen. I need to explain something to you guys… I don't know if you'll believe it or not… But I really think you should know the truth about this whole Christian and Tyson Tomko thing…"

Before Bret could finish his statement, the door was literally knocked off the hinges, making Shawn and Bret duck out of the way. The three men in D-X's locker room turned to look at the door way. They saw a very pissed off looking Tyson Tomko glaring back at them. "Hey there Travis… What's going on?" Bret asked. Tyson reached out and grabbed Bret's face with one hand, then pulled him close. "Shut the fuck up, Bret," He shouted and shoved Bret backwards, making the older man fall on his ass. Shawn jumped forward to help, only to be grabbed by the collar of his hoodie. "Oh, look at what we have here," Tyson teased, making Paul stand up and approach him slowly. "Let him go." Paul warned. Tyson looked over at Paul. "And I should do that why?"

Shawn tried to squirm away from Tyson, but the man was just too damn strong. Paul took another step closer, then noticed Tyson's hand move from Shawn's hoodie to his throat. "I said let him go," Paul shouted again. Tyson shoved Shawn to the ground and then turned his attention to Paul. "Oh shit." Paul mumbled as he watched Tyson charge at him, then grab him and throw him into the wall. Paul slid to the floor and stayed there, the pain in his head too much for him to overcome. Shawn and Bret jumped up to attack Tyson, only to have their heads rammed together. Bret fell back on his ass again, whereas Shawn stayed vertical. Tyson grabbed him by the shoulders and was about to pick him up, but was hit in the back of the head with a lead pipe instead.

Tyson and Shawn both fell to the ground. Shawn, however, scooted as far away from Tyson as he could. He wound up next to Bret, who was leaning against the back of the couch. "Holy shit," Shawn gasped. He was still in shock at how close a call that was. Once the lead pipe fell to the ground, Paul, Bret and Shawn looked up at the man who was holding it. "Holy shit..." Shawn breathlessly repeated in shock as to who he was looking at.

_Christian._

"What the fuck is going on around here?" Paul asked, making Bret chuckle. "I told you I had something to tell you about the whole Tyson and Christian thing…" He responded. Shawn sighed and rubbed his head angrily. "Would somebody care to explain the situation?"

* * *

**A/N: Muhahaha! Bet you didn't see that one coming! I decided to have a bit of a twist in this chapter… Mostly because I'm sick of Christian being a bad guy… I've always liked him, but at the time I started this, I figured it would be a good idea to incorporate a real feud in this story. I've changed my mind. (Also because my BFF told me to make Christian a good guy, lol). Anyway… There WILL be a new villain in this story…**

**And that person is going to be revealed at a later time. **

**Hope you enjoyed the update, there will probably be another one coming up soon. R&R please. -Chessy**


	11. Seventh Time's the Charm

Like Old Times

Montreal, Canada  
10/26/04

"So let me get this straight," Christian and Bret once again looked over at Vince McMahon, who was sitting on the couch in his hotel room. Shane was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest and was glaring evilly at his father. It was the sixth time in less than 15 hours that they heard the story of why Christian was hell bent on destroying D-Generation X, mostly Shawn Michaels. The two members of D-X were sitting on the floor facing Shane and Vince. "You mean to tell me that Tyson threatened you? Is that the best excuse you can come up with?" Vince continued.

Christian sighed and rubbed his head angrily. "You're missing half the damn story, Vince… And I only explained it like… Six times already… Do you think you can pay more attention this time?!" Christian growled. Vince sighed and looked over at Shane, who continued glaring at his father, so he looked back at Christian and nodded his head. "Yes, I suppose I'll pay more attention this time."

"Good! Ok, so during the summer, Tyson approached me and told me about this problem he was having. He told me that if I helped him, he would make sure nothing ever happened to me. I helped him out with his personal problem, which only involved his wife, and he sure as hell made sure nothing happened to me. Tyson wanted to become the best tag team the WWE had ever seen, and in order to do that, we had to watch out for the new threat… D-Generation X. Tyson took high offense to their return for some odd reason and told me that if I didn't help him, he would kill my wife. And he made sure that I would stick to my word by making his wife move in with mine for the time being, so if I was out of line in any way… Yeah… You could imagine what happened…"

"But what about Adam? I thought he said he would always watch out for your wife..?" Vince asked, making Christian sigh again. "You're not listening, Vinnie Mac… Pay attention to what he's saying, and try to refrain from asking him questions before he finishes his story." Bret stated. Christian sighed and cleared his throat. "Anyway… Adam hasn't spoken to me since we got split up and I started hanging out with Tyson. He tried telling me Tyson was bad news, but I was hell bent on helping him out for some reason. After the whole thing where he threatened my wife, which kind of died down when Paul was sent to the hospital in Miami, Tyson set his sights on my parents. He met them several times and passed himself off as a great guy, which pissed me off like you wouldn't believe. He said he was going to hurt my parents if I didn't..," Christian paused. "Didn't..?" Paul egged him on to continue. "Didn't take part in attacking Shane. I mean, come on! Shane," Christian looked over at Shane and gestured to him. "Have you ever felt the need to be afraid of me or hate me for any reason," Christian, and everyone in the room, watched as Shane nodded his head no. "How about this… Have you ever felt the feeling that I hate you," Shane once again nodded his head no. "We've always been good friends, right," Shane nodded his head in agreement. "See? My point has been proven. I never EVER wanted to hurt Shane… But your beliefs mean nothing when you see a picture of your parents tied up with a gun to their heads."

"What still doesn't change, and you may have failed to realize this, is that Shane has refused to speak to you since what happened." Vince stated, making Christian pause to think. Vince was right. Shane hadn't spoken to him in fifteen days. "Well… He's sitting in the same room as me. That sure as hell says something," Christian looked from Shane to Vince and back again. "Listen, Shane… You understand what's going on here, right? I mean… If I didn't touch you, my parents would've been killed. My wife would've been killed. How would you have liked it if you were put in a similar situation?" Christian asked. Shane stared at him and pondered his question. He looked down at the floor briefly before looking Christian in the eyes. "My beliefs mean more to me than a friendship with a man who I know is bad news. In a situation like that… I would've done what I felt was right. You don't notice it, but you sure as hell damaged a lot of friendships you have in the WWE, including with four of the five men sitting in this room with you. Or do you not care that you nearly got fired and sent to jail?"

Christian looked at Shane in shock. It had been awhile since he heard the truth. "Shane… I really am sorry for what Tomko and I did to you. My actions have been truly disgraceful. I sure do hope that in time, you'll be able to look beyond them and forgive me for what happened. I realize it might take awhile, but I really do feel sorry for what happened and I hope all of you guys can forgive me for what I did."

Shawn took the moment to speak. "Listen, Jay… I'm sure, with time, of course, you'll be forgiven for what you did. But right now, what you can do is help us take Tyson down. Now that we kind of eliminated you from the equation, we can concentrate on removing Tyson from the business," Shawn saw the skeptical look on Christian's face. "Listen, I know you're worried about your parents and your wife… But we can deal with that too. We can help you out more than you know. You just have to tell us everything you know in return. Tyson's friends, his connections… Anything that can help us take him down."

Christian couldn't help but to chuckle. "Shawn… You can't really be serious… You honestly think that it'll only take you and Paul to get Tyson to call it quits? How many knocks did you take to the head?" Christian asked, making Shawn glare at him. "I kind of lost count by now, thanks to you and Tomko. Since you guys knocked me further into Concussion land, I say you owe me. In order to fix it, I want you to tell me everything you can about Tomko. Because I'm going to get him off your back and away from your family… That, I can be sure of." Shawn replied.

Christian looked up at Shawn with tears in his eyes. "It's hard for me to tell you much about him… Mostly because there isn't much I know..," Christian watched as Shawn slammed his fists on the floor angrily. "Dammit!" He shouted. Paul rubbed his back to try and calm him down. "What I do know..," Everyone in the room looked back at Christian when they heard his voice. "Is that Tyson wasn't calling the shots on his own. He was taking orders from somebody."

Vince's eyes widened. "Wow. Who could he be taking orders from? Who hates D-Generation X that much?" Vince asked. "I don't know," Vince looked over at Shawn. "But I sure as hell plan on finding out."

* * *

**A/N: I was looking for something quick and easy to put in between chapters and this idea came to mind as I was watching the December 21****st**** edition of WWE Raw [the one where Johnny Damon was the guest host and D-X had to go to Little People's Court]. I pretty much had this typed out as fast as I could, which was pretty damn fast, while I thoroughly enjoyed the comedic skits on Raw (haha, yeah right). I'm currently thinking of something to have happen in the next chapter, which will probably contain a lot of evil plotting against Tyson during an episode of Raw. **

**The one thing I can't decide on [at the moment] is who I should have as the bad guy… I'm quite sick of… Never mind. I just got an idea!**

**If I don't update anything in time, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. **


	12. Dirty Little Secret

Like Old Times

Columbus, Ohio

11/1/04

Shawn, Paul, Vince, Shane and Christian were standing in one of the side hallways to the arena. The hallway was dubbed the 'McMahon' hallway, for it was that spot the McMahon's met before or during a show to review everything to make sure everything ran according to plan. "So let me get this straight..," Shane whirled around to glare at Vince. "Dad… If you ask Jay about that scenario ONE MORE time, I'm going to hurt you! How many times do you need him to explain everything? I'm sick and tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. It's driving me insane." Shane shouted. Vince half-pouted at his son. "I just want to make sure I have the story straight…"

The look on Shane's face was enough to say he didn't care. "Damn, Vin Man. If looks could kill, you'd be deader than dead right now. I haven't seen that kind of look from Shane-O in years," Paul stated and patted his brother in law on the back. "Ooooosa, Shane. Ooooosa. I understand you're sick of hearing the damn story. But you know how your old man is. He forgets everything as fast as he learns it… Because it's just that… He's old." Shane glared at Paul, so he slowly backed away from the younger man. "I'm relatively sick of hearing it, so I really don't care. If you're going to continue to ask to hear the same damn thing over and over, tell me and I'll find somewhere else to hang out."

"That's not really a good idea, Shane. You know what Travis is capable of. I don't want to risk you getting hurt again thanks to him. He'll try anything at this point," Christian explained to Shane and put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't trust him." Shane sighed and rubbed his head. "I know you don't trust him. I understand why you don't trust him. I'm just sick of hearing about it. I'm gonna go walk around a little," Shane went to walk away, but realized Christian's grip on his shoulder hadn't loosened. He turned to face him again. "I suggest you let me go." Christian looked at Vince, who nodded his head yes, so he sighed and let Shane go.

Shane turned to glare at Vince with an irritated look on his face, then spun on his heels and left. "Ok, now I think we should start talking some strategy… We can take Tyson down… And we're going to do it," Paul started. He looked over at Christian. "Is there any way he would believe that you're still on his side? I mean… Even though you hit him over the head last week?" He asked. Christian shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe… I mean, if I'm lucky…"

"Good. Try talking to him tonight to see if you can get him to believe you did it on purpose so you could get close to us to see what we were thinking and planning on doing. Convince him that you're acting as an insider and give him bogus tips to go by… That should buy us some time." Paul stated. Shawn nodded his head. "I'll put in a few calls to my brothers to see if they can get anything going. They should be able to get some guys to grab your wife and get her away from Tyson. And your parents, if necessary," Shawn noticed a look of doubt on Christian's face. He put a concerned hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll get them out of this."

* * *

Shane walked down the hall towards the cafeteria. He had to admit, after everything that happened he was never afraid of walking around by himself. He had been roaming arenas since he was old enough to walk and talk. The concern on the face of Jay "Christian" Reso was just about as real as Shawn's medical condition. He sighed and wondered how things got so bad between everyone. Christian used to be really close to the two members of D-Generation X. It was a little weird that he allowed himself to be easily swayed by a man like Travis "Tyson" Tomko. Sure, Christian gave them the story about Tyson threatening the lives of his wife and parents, but something didn't feel right. And that feeling made Shane uneasy about trusting Christian all of a sudden. It didn't make sense. And he knew nobody would listen to him.

A strong hand grabbed hold of his shoulder, making him whirl around to face the person. He received a fist to the eye. The same hand covered his mouth and dragged him into a locker room. "What did he tell you," Tyson's booming voice shouted. Shane put a hand to his eye and winced away the pain. "What the hell are you talking about," He asked. Tyson growled and backhanded Shane across the face. "You know damn well what I'm talking about, McMahon. Don't screw with me. Tell me what Reso told you!" Tyson shouted back. Shane moved his hand from his rapidly swelling eye to his now bleeding nose. "He said you're an asshole. That just about sums it up."

_Whack!_ The force of the backhand was enough to send Shane to the floor. "You think you're cute and smug, McMahon. But in this room, you're not as cocky as you think you are. You're just as pathetic as Reso's wife. Wanna know why, Shane? Because you don't have the balls to hit me back. You know I'll beat you to death. Not even your father will be able to recognize you," Tyson watched as Shane glared up at him from the floor. "Now… You're going to tell me what I want to know," Tyson bent down and pulled a pocket knife from his back pocket. He opened it and put the blade to Shane's throat. "Or you're a dead man… Got it," He asked. Shane spit blood on Tyson's face. "Fuck off, Tomko. I'm not as stupid as everyone likes to think I am." Shane retorted. Tyson smirked as he wiped the blood from his face. "Prove it."

Shane stared at him for several moments. "I would. But you're taking the easy way out by pointing a knife at my throat," Tyson looked down at the blade and chuckled. He put it back in his pocket. "Anything else, Prince Mishkin," He asked sarcastically. Shane glared at him. "I want to know who else is involved in this. I know it's not just you and Jay. This goes high up. Maybe as high as…" Shane's voice trailed off when he came to a sickening realization. _There's only one person who could have a hand in this… It's the same person that agrees to accommodate every single person he knows… The same person that makes his enemies suffer for not choosing his side… And that person is Vincent Kennedy McMahon… _His eyes widened as he looked from the floor back to Tyson, who smirked. "Your dad?"

"Oh shit," Shane whispered. "Who else do you think had the power to give the green light for Jacobs to tombstone Shawn onto the steel steps? Who could possibly give the green light for two wrestlers to continually pound on an already severely concussed wrestler's skull with hopes that it'll make him step down? Think about it, Shane. Who has the power to give the thumbs up to pretty much attempting to kill a wrestler? How do you think we were able to find everything out? Where he was staying and at what times he would be there? And who would give the go ahead to pounding the shit out of both his son and son in law?" Tyson smirked. Shane's eyes once again widened. "Oh my God…"

"Oh, Shane. It's ok that you didn't figure it out for yourself… Everyone knows you're not smart enough," Tomko watched as Shane went to stand up, but grabbed a hold of his face and pushed it together. "Where do you think you're going, kid? You're not leaving this room… Not unless the boss says so." Shane once again narrowed his eyes angrily. He wrapped his hands around Tyson's throat and pushed himself forward, knocking Tyson flat on his back on the floor. Tyson moved his hands from Shane's face to his throat to try and get him off, but soon lost the strength to continue fighting back. He never really realized how strong of a grip Shane had. Once Tyson blacked out, Shane stood up and stumbled out of the room.

Once Shane turned around, he crashed head first into the chest of Dave Batista. "Whoa! Have a little too much to drink, Shane-O," Dave joked around. Shane looked up at him, making his smile fade. "Holy shit, what the hell happened?" He asked. "Tyson Tomko is what happened," Shane gestured towards the room he just came from. "He's in there. I need you and Orton to take care of him… I need to get back to Paul and Shawn." Dave nodded his head and walked into the room, allowing Shane the chance to run back the way he came.

* * *

"So it's decided… You're gonna go to Tomko before the show and apologize and whatnot. Pour your damn heart out. Get him to forgive you… That way you can still be privy to certain information… Then you can come back and tell us. Make sure to find out everything from where your wife lives to his friends and his family. We need to know everything." Paul stated. Christian sighed. "I don't think it's going to work… You guys don't know him like I do." He replied. "Exactly, that's why it's most likely going to work… You need to get on top of this as soon as possible. Act so pathetic that he won't be able to say no." Shawn stated. Vince chuckled. "What makes you guys think this is going to work?" He asked.

Paul glared at his father in law. "Well… It has to. Christian is the only one Tomko trusts enough to associate himself with. Cause he knows a lot of the guys won't cross the boss." Paul turned around just as Shane made it back over to the group. "HOLY SHIT," Shawn shouted when he laid his eyes on the younger McMahon. "Are you alright?" He asked. Shane nodded his head and gently pushed passed Shawn and Paul. "Shane! What on Earth happened to you? Are you…" Vince was cut off by a fist to the mouth which sent him to the floor. Paul and Shawn grabbed a hold of Shane and pulled him back. "You're fucking dead to me, do you hear that?! I'm never going to forgive you for what you've done! And so help me God, I'm going to make sure this goes back to bite you in the ass!" Shane shouted as he struggled against the members of D-X. Christian knelt down to check on Vince. "What is he talking about?" He asked.

"I wish I knew," Vince replied as he sat up and put a hand to his jaw. "You know damn well what I'm talking about. I just had a run in with Tomko and he told me some things I wish I never found out," Shawn and Paul looked at one another, then slowly let Shane go and turned to look at him. "What are you talking about, Shane-O?" Paul asked. "You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain it, now would you?! All I'm telling you is that that man," Shane pointed at Vince. "Can't, nor should he, be trusted!" Shane shouted. "What are you talking about? You're just confused, Shane… Why don't you let the trainer look you over to make sure you're alright?" Vince asked.

"Shut up. I don't need your sympathy. What I need is for you to tell the truth. Don't make me blow your damn cover. Tell Shawn and Paul all about your involvement in this situation," Shane demanded. Vince smirked and stood up. "Oh Shane… So you're going to play it like this, huh? Ok… I guess I'll play along," Vince glared at his son, making Paul and Shawn gently push Shane behind them. "What is he talking about?" Paul calmly asked. "Say it." Shane once again demanded. "Alright, I confess. Tomko is working for me, in more ways than one. And right now, that's all any of you deserve to hear," Vince looked at Shane. "You are definitely no longer what I consider my family. I will never _ever_ forgive your mother for giving birth to you. Fucking little bastard." He growled through gritted teeth and stormed off.

Christian stood up and looked back at Shane, making Paul and Shawn turn to look at him as well. "I think you have some explaining to do, kiddo," Shawn stated. Shane narrowed his eyes angrily and turned to look at Shawn. "Alright. What do you want to know now," He asked. Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "You obviously know something we don't. Spill it." Shane ran a hand through his hair. "I ran into Tomko before. He said my dad was the one in charge of everything that's been going on. This whole thing is his fault – apparently he gave Jacobs the green light to Tombstone Shawn onto the steel stairs at Unforgiven a few months back. He's known what's been going on since the beginning… And he's been lying to us about it since day one."

Paul and Shawn looked at one another in shock. "Are you serious, Shane," Paul asked, making the young McMahon narrow his eyes at him again. "Would I seriously have come over here and blew up at my father if I wasn't serious!? I can't believe he would do such a thing to Shawn, after all he gave up for my father over the years…" Shane's voice trailed off as his eyes settled on the wall. Christian felt extremely out of place, so he put a strong, assuring hand on Shane's shoulder. Paul turned to face Shawn again. "What are we gonna do, man? Vince is the friggin boss. We can't cross him for long and continue to do what we do. I seriously can't believe he's behind everything… Man, he fucked us over good." Paul stated. Shawn put a hand to his chin and began tapping absentmindedly. "Vince started this whole thing by allowing Glenn to Tombstone me… He brings back D-X to boost ratings… But he has Tomko and Jay attempt to destroy us every chance he gets. I don't understand why he did everything in the first place, unless he's trying to get me to retire."

Shane and Paul made eye contact at the realization that Shawn probably figured out the thing Vince wanted most.

* * *

**A/N: Bet you didn't see that one coming, eh?! It's the first time I've ever had Vince as the main heel in a fanfiction I posted on this website. I'm quite proud of myself for writing it.**


	13. Swallowed Pride But Spit Out Fire

Like Old Times

Columbus, Ohio

11/1/04

Shane and Paul made eye contact at the realization that Shawn probably figured out the thing Vince wanted most.

"Shit… Shane… Where can we hide out tonight," Paul asked. Shane shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Paul. My dad has control of every single freaking area of this arena. We can't even hide out with Evolution." Shane replied. "What's the point of hiding," Paul, Shane and Christian turned to look at Shawn, who was leaning against the wall glaring at them. "McMahon wants a fight. Let's give him one." Shawn stated. Paul nodded his head no. "Jesus Christ, Shawn. That's the last thing we should do! We can't take on Vince McMahon. He has the whole friggin company at his fingertips. He could send everyone on us and kill all four of us. Don't you understand that?" Paul shouted as he grabbed Shawn by the shoulders and shook him back and forth, trying to further emphasize his point.

Shawn continued glaring at Paul until the younger man released the hold he had on him. "I understand it, Paul… Just ask me if I care," Shawn growled. Paul sighed and watched as Bruce Pritchard walked up to them. He tapped Shane on the shoulder and handed him a note, then walked away. Shane looked down at the piece of paper in his hand and rolled his eyes. "I know that handwriting anywhere. It's from my dad." Shane opened the note and scanned it quickly, then crumpled in his hand and slammed his fist into the wall. Paul jumped back and grabbed a hold of Shane's fist. He tried to wrestle the note out of his brother in laws hand, but he had a death grip on it. "Let me see it, Shane." Shawn stated and held out his hand.

Shane turned to look at Shawn and nodded his head no. "Never mind what the note says. All I know is that we're fucked… Okay? We're flat out fucked. Sodomized and everything," Shane replied. Paul raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess… Vince thought it would be cool if the four of us competed tonight against every big guy in the WWE in a Street Fight? Did I get it?" Paul asked. Shane looked at Paul and narrowed his eyes. "No. Not even close," He turned to look at Christian. "As of this moment, you're suspended without pay," Shane looked back at Paul and Shawn. "And you two are banned from speaking to one another until further notice… If you do, you're fired."

Shawn raised an eyebrow. "Oooooh, big bad Vincent Kennedy McMahon is writing scary hate mail. Remind me why I'm supposed to be afraid," He asked as he looked at Paul. "There's only one person who could stop this, I'm guessing?" Paul asked Shane, who nodded his head in agreement. "I have to give up my job." Shane replied, making Christian, Paul and Shawn's eyes widen. "What? Don't be stupid, kid. Fuck your old man. We'll go along with his stupid wishes as long as you don't get yourself fired." Shawn stated.

Shane sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I can't let you guys suffer because of something I pretty much started," He stated and went to turn around, however, Paul grabbed a hold of his arm and spun him back around. "This started the day your dad gave Jacobs the green light to knock Shawn into 1990. This isn't your fault in the slightest, Shane. Don't you decide to be a hero and fuck yourself over." He told Shane, who sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. "Oh God… Things are really bad… I have to stop this, Paul. Don't get involved… I'll talk to you guys later." Shane walked away from the group, avoiding eye contact with them as he did so.

Christian went to go after Shane, however, Paul and Shawn grabbed a hold of him. "Don't go after him, Jay… He's ashamed as it is…" Shawn stated. Christian looked back at Shawn, then at Paul and sighed. "I really wish he wouldn't give up his life in order to save us. I don't care about getting suspended… And I'm pretty sure you guys don't care about not talking and whatnot. Do you?" Christian asked. Paul nodded his head no. "Of course not, Jay… But that's not the point. If we kick Shane's pride, he's going to kill us… We have to let him do what he feels is right… Now, come on. Let's get into a locker room and await word from Satan himself."

Shawn, Paul and Christian walked to the D-Generation X locker room and saw a note posted on the door. It was from Vince. Shawn pulled it off and opened it. "Blah, blah, blah… Oh, interesting part… 'If you don't…' Wait no, that's irrelevant… Makes him sound like a comic book villain or something… Aha! 'Tune in to Raw to see some interesting developments between your former friend (and ally) Tyson Tomko and myself.' This guy is truly an asshole, isn't he?"

Paul nodded his head in agreement as he took the note from Shawn's hand to see what he skipped over. "You're right… He does sound like a comic book villain… Kinda like Lex Luther, actually… So I guess we have to turn the TV on and get..," Paul opened the door to the locker room and saw the furniture tossed everywhere. The only thing left standing upright was the TV. "Somebody wanted to put their point across," Christian stated as he observed the room. "Yeah, I could only imagine who would be so angry that they would put their foot through the wall." Paul stated as he observed the hole and bit his tongue to keep from laughing. Christian rolled his eyes. "You would think that Vince would be able to control the 'roid rage by now…"

Paul laughed and turned to look at Christian. "Yes, but whose 'roid rage? His or Tomko's?" He asked, making Christian laugh as well. Shawn, however, didn't find the situation funny at all. His eyes were scanning over the room like a hawk searching for its prey. Something just wasn't right. "Both, I guess… Especially if Tomko has been working with Vince all along. I can't believe I didn't catch onto that." Christian stated and nodded his head in disgust. He looked over at Shawn, who knelt down in the corner of the room. Paul followed Christian's line of view to his friend, who was curiously looking at something on the floor.

"What's the matter, Shawn," Paul asked, walking over to his best friend and kneeling down next to him. "I think this is Shane's wedding ring," Shawn stated as he picked up the small gold object and held it in his left hand for Paul to see. Paul picked it up and looked at the ring carefully. His eyes widened when he saw the tell-tale sign of who the ring belonged to. There was an inscription on the inside of the ring which read '9.14.96,' which was Shane's wedding anniversary. "You're right… This is my brother in laws ring. What the hell is it doing in here?" Paul asked as he rubbed his head and returned the ring to Shawn's hand. Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Paul. Do you think Vince is using Shane as his lackey?"

"Well… Shane is his son, ya know. I would imagine he would do whatever is possible to keep from getting fired," Christian stated as he rubbed his head. Paul nodded his head in disagreement. "I don't agree with you on that one. Shane is doing whatever he can to keep us from losing our jobs. I don't understand why the only way to save us was for him to sacrifice his job. Vince definitely has something up his sleeve." Paul responded. Christian sighed and allowed his hand to drop back to his side. "I can agree with that. I don't see why Shane actually trusted his old man. Everyone says Shane knows him better than anyone else…"

Shawn sighed, making Christian and Paul turn to look at him at the same time. They forgot he was in the room. "It's because he's gullible sometimes and still thinks his daddy has some good in him. Sure, he shows he actually has a heart sometimes, but it never lasts for more than 3 minutes. We need to track him down and get him away from Vince. That's the only way we can handle the situation."

"You're talking crazy, Shawn. People who want to lose their jobs are the only ones who talk about doing something like that. I know things seem really fucked up right now, but we have to sit back and watch things happen… Even if Vince is planning on using Shane against us…" Paul stated. Shawn frowned. "It's just not fair."

"_Nobody ever said life was fair, Shawn."_

Shawn stared at Christian and Paul. "What did you just say," He asked. Christian and Paul exchanged a worried glance, then looked back at Shawn. "We didn't say anything, Shawn. Why? What's the matter?" Paul asked and took a tentative step closer to Shawn, who took a step away from him. "Nothing… Absolutely nothing… You and Jay can stay here and plot about all the ways we shouldn't be doing anything. I'm going to go see if I can find Shane." Shawn stated and started heading for the door.

"_That's not very smart, Shawn."_

Shawn stopped short and closed his eyes, trying to figure out if it was another memory resurfacing or if Paul or Christian had said it. "Are you okay, Shawn," Paul asked, refusing to move from his spot in the room. He didn't want to piss Shawn off and send him running from the room. The last thing they needed was to be separated at a time like this. Shawn nodded his head, refusing to look either of the two in the eyes. "I'm fine… Just… Stop talking." Shawn replied. Paul and Christian once again exchanged a worried glance. "Jay didn't say anything… And the only thing I said was 'are you okay.' Are you having a flashback or something?"

Shawn turned to face Paul and shrugged his shoulders. His eyes darted around the room somewhat nervously. "I don't know, Paul. I keep hearing a voice that isn't mine… And it's saying things that would go with our conversation..," Shawn looked down at his watch and saw it was quite late in the evening… Which could only mean one thing. "Shouldn't we be watching Raw? It's half over already."

Paul grabbed onto Shawn's arm and twisted it, in a way that couldn't possibly cause Shawn pain, to see the time. He was quite irritated when he saw that Shawn was right. Raw was half over. How could they have ignored the time for so long? He almost forgot about everything that happened earlier in the hallway, which is odd since the three had been arguing about it since they got to the locker room.

"Shit… He's right. Jay, turn the TV on," Jay did as Paul said, allowing Paul to look Shawn in the eyes. "Please don't go anywhere, Shawn. Let's just… Sit down and think things through. We don't know what's going to happen and I really don't want your condition to get worse." He stated. Just when Paul thought Shawn was going to agree and allow Paul to close the locker room door, Shawn threw his arms in the air and let out an angry yell. "Fuck my condition, Paul," Shawn paused to grab Paul by his shoulders and shake him back and forth. "We have more important matters at hand right now. Shane shouldn't have to give up his career to save us!"

Paul ran his hands down his face to try and calm himself down. "I understand that, Shawn… I fucking understand it more than you could ever know. I don't understand why you won't calm down long enough for us to come up with some kind of battle plan for this situation. You, me and Jay are in this together as of right now. We're gonna figure out a way to get Shane out of this mess. So sit down and calm your fucking nerves!" Paul shouted. Shawn stared at him wide eyed, quite taken aback by his absolute bluntness and loud tone. He nodded his head and sat down on the floor next to Jay. Paul shut the door and turned to look at the other two men.

"What do you have in mind, Paul," Christian asked as he watched the slightly older man pace back and forth. "Does it look like anything major happened," Paul asked, gesturing to the TV as he did so. Christian nodded his head no. "Nope. Not a damn thing of importance… Except for a few matches. Seems like we didn't miss Vince's big shebang." Christian replied and smirked, making Paul nod his head and continue pacing. "Knowing Vince, he's gonna wait til the end of the show… Which will leave us with no time to try and help Shane out of whatever mess he's gotten himself into…"

Paul's voice trailed off as he looked down at the extremely serious look on Shawn's face. He had to admit, Shawn was taking the situation rather harshly, but there was nothing they could really do about it. They didn't have time to try and talk Shane out of trying to save their jobs. He was stubborn…

And so was Shawn.

Shawn sighed for what seemed to be the 50th time that night. The heartache and unfairness of reality never seemed to end. He looked up at the TV with extremely disinterested eyes; not really caring about what he was watching.

That was when his vision went black.

_It was 1999. Shawn was talking to the members of the 'new' D-Generation X: Road Dogg Jesse James, Billy Gunn, X-Pac, Chyna and Triple H. He knew he had to leave the arena to pick up good ol' Stone Cold Steve Austin… The special gift he promised Vince McMahon when he pretty much told him to go fuck himself earlier in the night. Vince was crazy to think Shawn would be so quick to give up the role of Commissioner. The big bad Vincent Kennedy McMahon couldn't even take his job away. _

_He was Superman._

_D-X escorted Shawn to the parking lot and took their time saying goodbye. Shawn walked out of the building and attempted to unlock the car with the keys Paul had given him… But they didn't seem to work. He walked back to the door and started knocking on it, calling out to Paul to try and ask him. When there was no answer, he kept his fist against the door and lowered his head._

_Vince found his kryptonite. _

_That's when the voices of the Corporation started taunting him from behind. Big Boss Man was the first to lunge at him. The rest of them grabbed a hold of him and allowed the much bigger man to kick him, punch him and flat out pound his ass into the cement. _

_The next thing he knew, he was hurled into a car and broke the window of the driver's door with his arm. His rental was going to need repairs, but it was nothing he couldn't afford. 'This is going to be fun to explain to the car rental agency… Yeah, I got beat up at work. That'll do. I'm sure they never heard that story before…' Shawn remembered thinking. Big Boss Man grabbed a hold of Shawn and picked him up, then threw him face first into the windshield._

_Everything went black again._

"Shawn?"

Shawn blinked his eyes and looked up at Paul. "What," He asked, making Paul smirk oddly at him. "Nothing… You just looked a little funny… Like you zoned out or something. I was just checking to make sure you were okay." Paul replied. Shawn looked down at the floor and considered his options. Paul could help him with the flashback… Or he could stare at him like he was stupid. "It was… A flashback, I think."

Paul smiled. "Really? I'm glad to know you're still taking your meds… Now… Do you mind telling me what it was about?" Paul asked. Shawn nodded his head no. "I guess not… It started off with you, me and the other members of D-X hanging out backstage. I went out into the parking lot and was attacked by the Corporation. I was on my way to pick up Stone Cold, I think… And it was really cold out, so I'd wager it was early 1999." Shawn stated.

Paul's eyes widened in a surprisingly pleasant shock. "I remember that night quite well, actually. It was January 4, 1999. You were on your way to get Stone Cold Steve Austin so you could get back at Vince for trying to fire you from your role as Commissioner. I really hated the whole betrayal thing, but you were obviously hurting and you needed some serious help. When the medics came and pulled you off the car, Earl Hebner had to be there to calm you down because you were just… Far gone with pain… I'm glad you decided to talk to me about it." Paul smiled as he patted Shawn's shoulder.

Shawn returned the smile and looked up at the TV again. The show was nearing its end. _How long was I dealing with that godforsaken flashback?_

Shawn's question was answered when he saw Tyson Tomko literally _kicking_ Shane McMahon down the ramp towards the ring. Shawn narrowed his eyes angrily and tried to stand up, but Paul grabbed hold of him and held him down to the best of his ability. "Jesus Christ, Paul! Let me go! He's gonna fucking kill him!" Shawn shouted as he squirmed in Paul's arms. Christian watched in horror as Tomko threw Shane in the ring and dug around under the mat for two chairs, a set of handcuffs and a garbage can lid. He threw them in the ring and slid in, wasting no time in beating Shane into a corner.

"This is absolutely ridiculous." Christian didn't realize he opened his mouth until he saw Paul and Shawn looking at him. "I agree… Let me go! We have to help him!" Shawn shouted and continued squirming.

"I hope you're watching, D-X," Shawn stopped squirming altogether and looked back at the TV. Vince was making his way down the ramp towards the ring with a large smile on his face. "Keep in mind this is happening because of you. Tyson Tomko has vowed not to stop until Shane decides to agree to my little deal… That being he cuts all ties with D-Generation X and agrees to work solely with and for me. No more cutesy Shane O Mac that all of you love to cheer for." Vince smirked at the amount of jeering he was getting from the crowd. He loved to make them hate him.

Paul was so shocked at what Vince had said; he made the mistake of letting go of Shawn. The older man wasted no time jumping up and running out of the room. "Fuck!" Paul shouted as he stood up and chased after him. Christian stood up and continued watching Tyson pound on Shane. "Is this what things have come down to..?"

* * *

Shawn continued running towards the curtains. He heard the crowd jeering. Things were getting ugly out there. He sneaked a quick peek at a monitor whenever he could. Tomko had just smacked Shane in the face with the garbage can lid. The kid's eyes were already glassy. His movements were slow, even for somebody who was being kicked around. Shawn ran as fast as he could until he made it through the curtains. He stopped short when he saw Vince notice him.

"Look who it is!" Vince pointed in Shawn's direction, making Tyson look over at him. He was holding Shane up by his hair. Shawn's face was turning different colors to match his anger level. Paul ran out from behind the curtain and stood next to Shawn… He was smart enough to grab a microphone on the way out. "Listen here, McMahon… We only want one thing here. We want you to tell Tomko to back away from Shane. Come on… You know damn well that kid means a lot to us. Stop hurting him." Paul was begging to the point where even Shawn was surprised.

Vince looked like he was going to consider what Paul had to say… But once again that evil smirk came across his face. "Tomko… Show D-X exactly what they can do with their pleading." Vince looked back at Tomko and watched as he handcuffed Shane's hands behind his back. Tomko grabbed a hold of Shane and power bombed him. He looked up the ramp at D-X and saw Paul was literally holding Shawn back. He had never seen the smaller man so angry before.

Felt good knowing he was the one to make him that angry, though.

Tomko bent down to pick up the chairs and left one on the mat. He grabbed a hold of Shane and maneuvered him so that his head was resting on it. Tomko steadied himself and held the chair high above his head.

Shawn saw the all too familiar signs of the conchairto and panicked, squirming even more in Paul's arms. "No! Get the fuck off of me! Tomko is going to knock Shane into last year! We have to stop this! It's wrong! We can't let him take the hit…" Shawn's voice trailed off as the second chair made contact with Shane's skull.

Vince put on that stupid face he made when he was attempting to portray mock-horror. He slid into the ring and waited for Tomko to sit Shane up and hold him up. Somehow he was conscious enough to keep his head held high. Vince knelt down and positioned himself so D-X could see his ugly mug, as well as Shane's bloodied face and the disgusting Tyson Tomko. "So… Shane… What do you say? Ready to get rid of D-X and align yourself with me? You know that I'm the right path to choose, don't you? Come on, now. Don't look at me like that. Are you going to take my side over theirs?"

Vince shoved the microphone in Shane's face and waited impatiently for him to answer. Shane used what little consciousness he had left to consider his options. Maybe he would be able to stop Vince from attacking D-X… But having a McMahon on your side is always valuable.

A light bulb went off in his clouded mind.

"Yes…" He mumbled and let his head drop to the side as he faked losing consciousness. He was always so good at it in the past.

Vince jumped up in what could only be described as ridiculously over-excited happiness and jumped around. Tomko watched him with narrowed eyes, then looked up the ramp at D-X. Shawn had stopped struggling against Paul. Both members of D-X were staring at Shane in shock. Paul moved his head closer to Shawn's. "He has something up his sleeve."

* * *

**A/N: It's been awhile since I last updated, hasn't it? I've been working on this chapter for almost a month now. I have no idea why but I got a severe case of writer's block. I was discussing possible outcomes with my friend Katie and decided on the ending with her. It sure helps to have somebody to talk to when you're stuck on something, even though she's not too familiar with this story…**

**I realized I changed the spelling to 'conchairto' in this chapter. I'm gonna go back in the other ones and fix it as well. Ya know, as soon as I stop procrastinating so hard.**

**I can't decide when I'm going to end this story… I know what I'm going to have happen, though. I've only been planning it for 3 years.**

**Take care and wish your dads/husbands/whomever a Happy Father's Day from OctoberAshes! **


	14. From Now On, We're Enemies

Like Old Times

Cleveland, Ohio

11/8/04

Shane once again stumbled and caught himself using the wall. He looked up at the person he _knew_ was staring at him. "Can I help you," Shane asked as he lowered himself to the floor and took a deep breath. His head was beyond pounding and he had enough nausea to light up Times Square. "I can't believe you were so quick to go ahead and align yourself with your father… Do you know what that crazy asshole has in mind for Paul and Shawn?" Ric Flair shouted. Shane winced and leaned his head against the wall to try and cool off his head. "Yes, I know some things… Why do you think I'm doing this, Ric? I'm doing this so I can try to warn them in some way… Either that or convince my father not to pound on them so bad. I mean… Shawn is human… His head can't possibly take any more damage."

Ric raised an eyebrow at the young McMahon. "And how are you holding up? I see nothing has changed from last week. You're still oozing around like you're going to collapse and turn to jelly at any time." Ric stated. Shane looked at him semi-sarcastically. "Turn to jelly..? I'm just fine, Ric. Just… Normal aches and pains finally catching up to me. I'm not as young as I used to be."

Ric barked into laughter. "You're certainly younger than me, that's for sure! There's no possible way you're suffering from _normal_ aches and pains… Just what on earth is going on behind the scenes? Is your dad letting Tomko bully you? Or is this all from last week?" Ric asked. Shane sighed and closed his eyes. "The majority of it is from last week… My balance and depth perception haven't been that great since last week… I've been falling a lot recently… I fell down a flight of stairs at least three times in the past two days… So you could imagine what's wrong with me."

Ric glared at Shane. "Yeah. You have an untreated concussion."

* * *

Paul watched as Shawn paced back and forth in the D-X locker room. They hadn't heard from Christian in about three days and didn't know what to make of Shane joining forces with Vince. Sure, Paul told Shawn that Shane had something up his sleeve, but there was something else going on that they didn't know about. And it was starting to worry them. Shane wasn't a person to give in so easily when there was so much at stake. He wasn't stupid enough. He _couldn't_ be stupid enough.

"Shawn… You're going to wear a hole into the floor. Please stop pacing so much. You're making me dizzy from watching," Paul stated. Shawn stopped pacing to turn and look at the other man. "I'm just pissed and slightly worried, I guess. You know, the stuff with Jay and Shane." He replied as he sat down next to Paul. "Yeah, I know… You have to relax a little, though. You're going to worry yourself into either a stroke or a heart attack."

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Stop being so dramatic… I have a pretty damn good reason to worry. Nobody has heard from Jay in a few days and Shane-O was pretty fucking quick to join forces with his daddy. We both know they're going to try to take us down. How the hell can you be so calm about all of this? And, yes, I do realize that I've always been the overdramatic one that seems to jump to conclusions… But rightfully so! I deserve to be a little crazy right now!" Shawn shouted as he jumped up and gestured angrily with his arms.

Paul laughed as Shawn's flailing arms finally calmed. "Oosa, Shawn. You definitely have a reason to be a little crazy, but you need to calm down, sit down and take some deep breaths. First off, I bet Jay is just fine and is only distancing himself from us to try and ease the tension… Second, I told you Shane has something up his sleeve. We both know that kid isn't as gullible as everyone likes to think he is. He knows damn well what his dad is capable of and knows it's wise to watch his every move carefully… More important… To never turn his back on his father."

Shawn narrowed his eyes. "Yeah… Judging by how many times Shane has seemed to have had a head on his shoulders, only to turn and join his father in whatever scheme he had planned, I'd say we're off to a great start in stopping this damn thing," He shouted. Paul 'tsk'ed' at him and nodded his head no. "Calm down, Shawn. Shane was just faking the majority of the time. He knows what he's doing. Remember… He did what he did to save our jobs. I know how you feel about him doing that… Trust me, I would've rather lost my job than see Shane being forced to do things he doesn't want to do… But that doesn't mean we can't acknowledge and respect his decision to protect us from his father." Paul stated. "Yeah? But that doesn't mean we have to like it, either." Shawn replied.

"What are you implying, Shawn?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow at his best friend as he did so. Shawn shrugged his shoulders and knelt down to look Paul in the eyes. "Well… I realize that you're probably right about Shane having something up his sleeve… But… You know this as well as I do… From now on, we're enemies."

* * *

Vince raised a slightly agitated eyebrow at his son when he saw him stumble into his locker room. "Where the hell have you been all this time," He asked, only slightly concerned when Shane fell to his knees and groaned as he was literally smacked in the face by a wave of nausea. He was able to situate himself so he was able to lean with his back against the wall and close the door, then look over at his father and sigh. "Talking to Ric Flair… He was asking me if I was feeling okay." Shane stated, not strong or brave enough, for that matter, to move from the wall. Vince looked slightly concerned for a moment. "I can see why. You look like hell."

Tomko chuckled from his spot in the room, which was on the couch in the far corner. "He looks like he got his ass kicked last week… And that's exactly what happened." He stated and chuckled. Vince narrowed his eyes at Tomko, making him stop mocking the younger McMahon. Vince looked back at his son. "Do you think you can take part in Raw tonight? I think we have a pretty interesting segment planned… You really have no choice; I'm just warning you so you can go to Mark Eaton and take something for whatever the hell is wrong with you." Vince stated as he tossed a copy of the script over to Shane.

Shane eyed the script, then looked up at Vince with confusion etched all over his face. "What's this," He asked. Vince looked at him oddly. "You've been in this business for how long and you don't know what the show's script looks like? There must be something wrong with you." He remarked. Shane sighed and picked up the script. He flipped it open and groaned as he was hit with another wave of nausea. He saw that the main even consisted of a match between Tomko and Shawn… With Shane as the special guest referee. "Dad… I understand the feud and everything… And I understand what I agreed to last week… But this is ridiculous."

Vince narrowed his eyes at Shane. "No, it isn't. And you're going to do what you're told."

* * *

It was now Randy Orton's turn to glare at the young McMahon stumbling around the hallway. He honestly couldn't believe the _nerve_ of Shane. How could he walk around like nothing was wrong? He _only_ turned his back on D-X, two of his closest friends, to align himself with his father… Of all people. Then again… Shane didn't look himself today. And Orton wasn't going to let him get off so easy.

"McMahon," He shouted, then watched as Shane stopped walking, leaned on the nearest wall and turned to look at Randy with a mechanical slowness that wasn't like him at all. Shane looked almost afraid until he noticed it was only Randy, then closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. "What is it, Randy?" He asked. Randy approached him and glared at him. "What the hell do you mean by that? You should know damn well what I want, Shane. The same thing Ric wanted when he stopped you earlier… Why the hell did you turn your back on Shawn and Paul? You know damn well they need you more than your father does!"

Shane sighed and rubbed his temples. "I merely aligned myself with my father to see if I could prevent him from pounding on Shawn's head more. I'm trying to help them, Randy. You guys are only making things harder for me by storming up to me and yelling at me about it."

Randy looked slightly dumbfounded. "I feel like an ass now… Why didn't I think about possible motives before getting offended and feeling the need to beat your face in..? I should've known you would never willingly screw your friends over," Randy stated and slowly backed away from Shane. "I'm sorry."

Shane smiled at him and pushed himself off the wall. "It's okay, Randy. I really don't care… Let people believe what they want to believe about what I did… Just don't go around telling everyone I'm doing it to spy, okay? I'm not allowed to talk to Shawn and Paul backstage… So… Would you mind telling them what I told you?" Shane asked.

The angry look on Randy's face suddenly vanished and was replaced by a look of pure happiness. "Of course I wouldn't mind telling them! I'm sure they're having some problems seeing the meaning behind your so called betrayal as well… Perhaps I can shed some light on it for them and even tell them to try and watch out for you… Even though… Wow. You look like hell! What the hell happened to you?" Randy shouted, making Shane put a hand to his head and groan.

"Not so loud, please, Orton… Jesus Christ… I swear, you guys are going to make me go deaf before my next birthday..," Shane sighed and lowered his hand. "I'm okay, Orton. Don't concern yourself with me… Make sure Shawn and Paul are alright."

Randy sighed and nodded his head obediently. "You got it, McMahon. Just… Please, watch yourself. You should know better than anyone that trusting your dad is a dangerous thing to do." He stated. Shane chuckled. "Believe me, I know… I can take care of myself, though. Thanks a bunch for this." Shane smiled, then sighed as he watched Randy walk away.

_What the fuck did I get myself into this time?_

_

* * *

_

Randy knocked impatiently on the D-X locker room door. He knew Paul and Shawn were in there, and he knew better than to walk in. Especially since he heard them arguing through the door… It was something about Shane and Vince and… Randy grumbled incoherently and pounded a little harder on the door. He was relieved when Paul opened the door and glared at him.

"What do you want, Orton?" He shouted. Randy merely raised an eyebrow at the older man. "I'm here to talk to you and Shawn… But I have to come in, in order to do so… So… Can I come in please?" Randy asked. Paul sighed, then looked over at Shawn, who shrugged his shoulders. Paul stepped to the side and let Randy come in, then shut the door behind him.

"What's the problem, kid?" Shawn asked. Randy sighed and watched as Paul sat down, then looked from one man to the other and back again. "Okay… I just got done speaking to Shane… And he gave me the low-down on everything. Ya know, the reason why he did what he did… And he sent me your way to tell you… Ya know, since he can't come over here and tell you himself…"

"Yeah, okay," Randy looked over at Shawn when he heard his voice. "I don't care what lies that kid told you to tell us. He was so damn quick to give in to his old man last week. Why the hell should we believe anything he has to say after he joined forces with his satanic asshole of a father? Hmm? Does he think we'll assume he's still our friend and only joined Vince because he was trying to watch out for us? Go back to him and tell him we don't CARE why he did what he did!" Shawn shouted.

Randy looked over at Paul, who was staring at Shawn with wide-eyes. He finally locked eyes with Randy and couldn't even mutter an apology for what Shawn had said. He slightly shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh. "…What did he say?" Paul finally whispered, making Shawn glare at him.

"He said he's really sorry for what he did… And he's doing it because he wants to manipulate his father into _not_ beating on you guys anymore."

* * *

"Okay, it's nearly match time," Vince shouted as he re-entered his office and clapped his hands together. He looked from Tyson Tomko, who was standing in the corner of the room, to his son Shane, who was sitting on the floor with his head resting against the wall. "Okay, don't everyone jump up at once… Why the long faces?" Vince asked. Tyson turned to acknowledge Vince's existence and started shadowboxing. "No long face here, Mr. McMahon… I was just thinking of all the ways I can destroy Shawn Michaels tonight… You know, if your son would be as of so kind to be on my side." Tyson stated. He and Vince looked down at Shane at the same time. He was only able to respond by looking up at them rather pathetically.

"Oh, don't worry. He will be."

* * *

Shane made his way down to the ring and tried to clear his head. He could feel every member of the audience glaring at him like he stepped on their dogs and tossed them out the window. Some of them were confused. Others were enraged. He did what he had to do to save Shawn and Paul's careers. The fans would forgive him eventually. They always did.

He slid into the ring and looked up at Lilian Garcia. He saw her lips moving, but her voice wasn't registering in his ears. _Please don't black out now…_ He silently willed himself to stay alert during the match… Hell, if he didn't, Shawn would be history. He turned around as slowly as humanly possible and saw Tyson making his way down to the ring with Vince at his side.

Tyson climbed onto the canvas and watched as Vince rounded the ring and took a seat next to Jerry Lawler. Tyson got into the ring and stormed over to Shane. "If you don't call this match the way you're supposed to, I'm going to knock you into next Friday! Do you understand me?" He shouted. Shane backed away from him and narrowed his eyes somewhat angrily, but bit his tongue and nodded slowly.

D-X made their way to the ring next. Paul stood by the stairs on the side of the ring closest to the TitanTron. Shawn got onto the canvas. He was careful to avoid Tomko's angry fist of fury. Once Shane was able to get Tomko to back up, Shawn smiled at the crowd and hopped into the ring. He looked over at Shane, hoping to see if the younger man was looking back at him… Anything to prove he didn't mean what he did the previous week and it was all a work. Unfortunately, Shawn wasn't going to get any type of answer from the somewhat hotheaded Shane McMahon. His eyes were cast down, almost as if he was ashamed of himself.

_He has every damn right to be!_

The bell rang before Shane could even lift his hand to signal for it. He wanted to turn and glare at his father, but the fact he saw Tyson Tomko charge at Shawn made him keep his eyes on the men in the ring. Things were probably going to get ugly during the match, and Shane would be damned if he stopped paying attention and allowed Tomko the opportunity to hurt Shawn more than he already did. Shawn ducked under Tyson's arm and used his size to outwit the man in the ring, dodging every move quickly and responding with a knife-edge chop. Shawn ran towards the rope and bounced off, then charged at Tomko.

…Unfortunately for Shawn, Tomko grabbed a strong hold of him and powerbombed him hard onto the canvas. Shane knelt down to see if Shawn was in la la land or not. He was extremely happy that Shawn was looking at him with a calculating face, contemplating whether or not he should trust him. It took Shane a moment to realize he had an extremely disgusted look on his own face. _That's definitely why Shawn looks like he wants to kick me in the gullet…_

Tomko bent over, grabbed a hold of Shawn and pulled him off the mat. Shane stood up a tad too fast for his own liking and stumbled to the side. He looked up just in time to see Tyson Tomko Irish whip Shawn in his general direction, so he once again stumbled to the side. Shane was able to grab a hold of the rope to steady himself. He turned just in time to see Shawn duck away from Tomko, then bounce off the other side of the ropes and hit him with a flying elbow. Shawn nipped up and turned to look at the top turnbuckle. Anyone who watched Shawn's matches knew the routine from here on out. Elbow drop, Sweet Chin Music, pin fall.

Shane turned his back to the match and heard an 'ooooooh!' from the crowd. He steadied himself against the ropes and turned to look at the two men in the ring with him. Shawn was on the canvas, grimacing in pain and rolling around, and Tyson was working on getting vertical. Once he stood up, he stormed over to Shane.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, jackass," Tomko grabbed Shane by the shirt and shook him back and forth. "Are you going to shake the damn cobwebs out of your head and officiate this match the _correct_ way, now? Or do I have to teach you a lesson in front of all of these fans? I have no problem knocking some sense into you, Shane. You should know that from last week. Now, wake the fuck up and get to paying attention!"

Tomko glared at Shane for a moment longer, then shoved him backwards and released his shirt. Shane grabbed a hold of the rope again to steady himself. He smirked when he noticed Shawn was on the other side of the ring, getting ready to perform some Sweet Chin Music on Tomko. Once the bigger man turned around, Shawn's boot rocketed at his face and connected with his cheekbone, making him drop down to a knee. Shawn then delivered a half assed enzuguri, knocking Tomko completely to the canvas. Shawn hopped up in no time at all and turned to look at Shane.

"What'd he tell you, huh? Gonna turn your back to the match some more so he can get some illegal shots in? He should've been disqualified for that low blow before!" Shawn shouted, obviously fed up with the match. Shawn was surprised by the fact Shane was looking him in the eyes and had a confused expression on his face. "I don't know what you're talking about… I was dizzy and needed to… You know what? Just focus on the damn match," Shane shouted and gestured to Tomko.

Shawn turned around in time to dodge Tomko's right hand, but was caught in the face by Tomko's left hand. Shawn continued to dodge punches and eventually dished out a few of his own. Shane watched the brawl for a moment or two, trying to figure out what to do about it, then decided it would probably be best to break them up before it escaladed into something far worse. He walked over to the two and was able to get in between them without a fist flying. "Hey, hey, hey! Knock it off, you two! Stop it!" He looked back and forth from Shawn to Tomko, who suddenly grabbed Shane by the back of the neck and shoved him to the canvas. Shawn looked down at Shane and actually felt kind of bad for what he just saw, especially when he saw Paul stop pacing dead in his tracks and turn to glare at the ring. "What the hell did you do that for?" Shawn asked.

Tomko raised an eyebrow at Shawn and chuckled. "Kid is useless, Michaels. You should know that… He can't even keep in character long enough to show you two that he's a villain… There's something wrong with that kid's head… Vince should've had him locked away years ago… But, whatever. Let's continue this… There's no referee to stop us now." Tomko threw his fists up defensively and waited for Shawn to strike him.

"Wait a damn minute," Vince shouted, making Shawn and Tomko turn to see Paul standing on the steel stairs with a chair in his hands, no doubt about to enter the ring and bash Tomko's brains in. "If you even _think_ about hitting Tyson Tomko with that chair, I'll have you, Shawn, Shane and Christian fired so fast, it'll make your head spin! Put that damn thing down now and step away from the ring. Shane, get up and finish officiating the damn match!"

Shane turned to glare at Vince, then looked back at Tomko, Shawn and Paul. He pulled himself up and looked at Paul. "As much as I don't want to do this, you have to get off the steps… I don't want to eject you… Back up, Hunter," Shane stated calmly, then watched as Paul slowly stepped down. Shane turned back to Tomko and Shawn. "You two fight fair, got it?" He shouted. Tomko rolled his eyes and snickered at Shane, then turned to Shawn. "Let's give him a show." He stated. Shawn raised a confused eyebrow. "What?"

Tomko ran straight at Shawn and grabbed a hold of the smaller man, then pounded on his back and the back of his head. Shane went to take a step to break them up, but he heard his fathers voice on the microphone. "Back away, Shane. Get the hell away from them! Let Tomko have his fun!"

Shane turned to face his father and scowled at him. "You're kidding me, right," He asked. Vince smirked. "No, I'm not kidding you. Do your damn job and IGNORE the match, unless you want me to take legal action against D-X…" Shane watched as Paul stormed over to Vince with the steel chair and cracked him in the head with it. "Shut the hell up, old man!" Paul shouted. He turned back towards the ring to see what was going on. Shane was gesturing at him angrily. "What the hell did you do that for? I can't save you from getting fired after that!" He shouted.

Paul sighed and slowly approached the ring, holding the steel chair defensively, even though he had no desire to use it on Shane. "Back away, kid. I'm gonna get in there and help Shawn." Shane took a step or two back and watched Paul slide into the ring. "You're going to regret doing that." Shane stated as Paul stood up, picked up the chair and stormed towards Tomko with it. He brought the chair down onto the back of Tomko's head and watched as the bigger man fell over. Paul knelt down next to Shawn and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay, buddy?" He asked. Shawn grimaced in pain and rolled onto his back to face him. "Never been better..," Paul extended his hand and helped Shawn up. The two turned around to see Shane staring them down. "We took down your dad's slave, McMahon. What are you going to do about it?" Shawn growled. Shane smirked and took a few steps closer to D-X. The only one to get defensive was Shawn. "Announce you the winner." Shane responded.

Just as he was about to call for the bell, Vince stood up with a microphone in hand. "I don't think so! Shawn Michaels did NOT win this match. You two are lucky I don't ban you from the arena. You made a mistake, Triple H, and you WILL pay for it. We'll start with that right… Now."

Paul and Shawn looked really confused until they heard Evolution's music start playing.

"Oh, no…" Paul mumbled as he and Shawn turned to face the TitanTron. Shawn whirled around to face Shane. "What's your involvement in this, you two-faced son of a bitch?" He shouted. He instantly regretted saying it the moment he looked into Shane's eyes. He looked as equally confused as they were, and the fact he was barely conscious didn't seem to help matters.

Tyson Tomko slid out of the ring and watched as Dave Batista and Ric Flair walked out from backstage and made their way to the ring. The three of them turned to look into the ring. "How about that..? Just when you think you know someone, they go and turn on you…" Paul mumbled to Shawn. "Fucking unbelievable. Dave wouldn't have a career if it weren't for you and Ric… And where the hell is Randy? That prick had better not jump us from behind… We already have one douche bag in the ring."

Paul turned to look at Shane, then looked back at Shawn. "He's on our side, moron," He grumbled, then looked back at Ric, Dave and Tomko. "What's the matter, Hunter? Cat got your tongue?" Dave asked. Paul raised a confused eyebrow at him. "No, actually. I'm just waiting for you to get your asses in the ring." He replied, trying to grab a hold of Shawn as the older man rushed towards the ropes and nearly launched himself over them. "Where's Orton?" Shawn shouted, completely ignoring Paul's attempts to calm him down. "Too much of a wimp to come out here." Ric replied.

Paul was able to grab a hold of Shawn and drag him back towards the other side of the ring, which was where Shane was still standing. They somehow wound up with one on each side of him. "What do you say, Shane-O?" Paul asked, glancing at Shane while he did so. Shane looked back at Paul and smirked. "Nobody fucks with you guys and gets away with it." He replied. Shawn snorted. "You fucked with us, Shane. What's the difference?" Shawn asked.

Before Shane had a moment to respond, Tomko, Dave and Ric slid into the ring and charged at them. Tomko wound up fighting Shawn, Dave was fighting with Shane and Ric was brawling with Paul.

"Show 'em whose boss!" Vince shouted.

Dave gave Shane a powerful jab to the temple, making him reel. He quickly grabbed a hold of him and powerbombed him, then joined Ric in taking down Paul. Tomko Irish whipped Shawn into the ropes, then powerbombed him onto Shane. "Oh fuck!" Shawn shouted. He heard something crack, but he wasn't quite sure of what it was. Tomko walked over to the chair Paul brought into the ring earlier and cracked Paul in the head with it, making him crumble to the mat. Vince took a moment to slide into the ring and observe the carnage.

"Well, well… Isn't this interesting? I told you not to mess with me, D-X. But of course, you wouldn't listen… Always more concerned with what the fans want to see. Don't your careers mean anything? I can make you OR break you. Obviously you want me to break you, so I took what mattered most to you… Your friends," Vince gestured to Dave and Ric. "There will be hell to pay this Sunday at Survivor Series. I'm adjusting the match Eric Bischoff made several weeks ago… Instead of D-Generation X vs. Christian and Tyson Tomko, it'll be D-Generation X vs. Tyson Tomko, Ric Flair, Dave Batista and..," Vince looked around slightly inconspicuously. "My son Shane!"

"That's not really fair…" Shawn mumbled. He felt Shane hit him in the side. "Shut the hell up. You're in enough trouble as it is." Shane mumbled back. Vince gestured to Shane. "Tomko, grab a hold of him and bring him with us. Teach him a lesson along the way, I could care less."

Vince slid out of the ring with Dave and Ric close behind. Tomko pushed Shawn away from Shane and grabbed a hold of him, then pulled him up and tossed him out of the ring. Paul and Shawn watched helplessly as Tomko nailed Shane in the head with his huge fists all the way up the ramp.

"Suck it, Vince McMahon… Suck it." Shawn shouted.

* * *

**A/N: Wow. This chapter took me a ridiculous amount of time to type. I couldn't decide on what I wanted to have happen, as you could probably tell from reading it. **

**Anyone who is a fan of Sarcastic Nightmare should message her with some warm wishes. Her daddy passed away the other day and there's only so much I can do from a distance. **

**I love Shane McMahon with all of my heart, but he should be dropkicked for leaving the business.**

**I believe that is all. Look for 'Dark Reflections' to be updated before the month ends. Then I'll write the Survivor Series match for this story. **

**Have a great week, guys!**


	15. Down Another Day

Survivor Series

11/14/04

"I still don't understand why we have to go through with this… It's absolutely ridiculous! There's no reason why we should abide by what Vince has to say!" Shawn shouted, gesturing wildly. Paul was surprised he didn't start to pull his own hair out. He had to admit, he was pretty stressed out since Raw, but Shawn was acting extremely strange about everything, almost as if he was somehow blaming himself for it. "Vince is the boss, Shawn, and like it or not, I want to keep my job, so we have to do what he says… We can, however, come up with our own plan for the night instead of doing what the script tells us to." Paul replied.

Shawn sat down on the couch in their locker room and rubbed his head angrily. "You were right," He stated, making Paul raise an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Shawn?" Paul asked. Shawn looked him in the eyes and sighed. "I shouldn't have freaked out and ran to go and attempt to save Shane's ass the other night… I should have let Vince and Tomko beat the poor kid senseless. He wouldn't have been forced into this match, and we wouldn't have to beat him up like I know we're going to be forced to do later…" Shawn stated.

Paul put a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Listen, buddy… We did everything we could to save him that night. But that was Shane trying to save us. What we did made matters worse, I won't deny that, but that never should have happened in the first place. Vince was wrong to have Tyson beat Shane up. By showing we cared, it made Vince feel the need to punish all three of us even worse than he was already planning on doing. It's not only your fault, Shawn. It's mine too. We were right to do what we did. If we didn't react, Tyson could have killed the poor son of a bitch."

Shawn raised an eyebrow at Paul and smirked. "You have such an odd choice of words, Paul… I'm trying to figure out how you're able to communicate with me and make me feel somewhat sane after all of this… Somehow you did, so I commend you." Shawn stated. There was a knock on the door, making both men sigh and nearly face-palm. Paul walked over to the door and opened it. Chyna walked in and into the middle of the room. "Dare I ask why you guys totally blew me off for the passed couple of weeks? I know there's a lot going on, believe me, I do, but you could have answered my calls." She stated.

Paul sighed. "Sorry about all of that, Joanie. I don't think you truly understand how much is going on. We're pretty much screwed in this situation… We have our hands tied and there's no possible way of getting loose." Paul replied. Chyna sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked over at Shawn and saw he was looking down at the floor, so she looked back at Paul. "I know… I've been watching. It's… Scary, unfair and ridiculous. I don't know why Vince would want to do that to you guys. You've been nothing but loyal to him since day one. And for him to use Shane against you is outright depressing and desperate. Of all people he could have picked for that… He chose his own son." Chyna stated in a voice that was oddly calm and sympathetic.

"What about Orton and Reso? We haven't heard from them in quite some time… It's kinda scary how they can almost drop off of the face of the planet." Shawn stated out of nowhere, making Paul and Chyna look at him. "I know, it is kind of weird… But I would imagine they want to lay low after what happened with people they were so close to. I can't tell you guys how surprised I am at Ric and Dave… Just when you think you can trust somebody, they turn around and stab you in the back." Paul stated.

Chyna sighed and looked from Shawn to Paul and back again. "You guys have been through a lot in the passed few months. Believe me, I get it. I know you don't want to be involved in the match later on… But you're going to have to put everything behind you and do it. Give it your all to show Vince he can't break you… Even if that means you have to beat Shane up."

Shawn and Paul looked over at her at the same time with their jaws nearly on the ground. "What? It's because of us that he's in this situation in the first place! How do you expect us to be able to just go beat him senseless like his old man is making Tomko do?" Shawn asked. Chyna sighed. "I understand your frustration, Shawn. Believe me, if it wasn't for him, I would never have gotten a job in this business in the first place. I understand your want to protect him like a younger sibling. But you have to choose between doing what's right and standing up to your boss."

Paul and Shawn stared at Chyna to try and figure out what they wanted to do. They heard another knock on the door. "Levesque, Hickenbottom… Five minutes til match time, you're due at the gorilla." Arn Anderson shouted. Paul sighed and looked over at Shawn. "You ready for this?" He asked. Shawn sighed and stood up. "Ready as I'll ever be… I guess."

* * *

Paul and Shawn were the first wrestlers down to the ring. Paul didn't dare go over to Lilian and ask her for the microphone. He was in no mood to hype up the crowd. Chyna's words were still playing on repeat in his mind. He knew damn well he was going to be forced to hit Shane during the course of the match. He didn't want to… But he was going to have to hit him if he wanted to prove to Vince that D-X were still worthy adversaries.

Vince walked out in front of his team. Tomko, Ric and Dave looked extremely happy for the match. Shane, however, didn't look happy at all. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he didn't want to be involved in any of this. Vince stood near the ring and kept his eyes on D-X, who had backed closer to the commentator's booths, as his team went in the ring. Vince grabbed Shane's shoulder as he was about to climb the steel stairs and leaned forward to whisper (or yell) something in his ear, then let him go and pushed him away. Shane looked even more frustrated as he hopped into the ring.

Mike Chioda got between D-X and Vince's team and motioned for them to choose one person to start the match. "I got this." Shawn stated, making Paul nod and retreat to their corner of the ring. Ric, Dave and Tomko got in their corner, leaving Shane in the ring to face off against Shawn. Paul threw his arms up in the air. "Are you guys friggin kidding me?" He shouted. "Calm down, Triple H. You'll get yours." Dave shouted from across the ring.

Shawn inched closer to Shane, who didn't make a single move to try and defend himself from a punch, let alone hold up his fist to hit Shawn. "Hey… Shane… You're okay, right," Shawn asked. Although Shane nodded in agreement, Shawn knew something was up. "I refuse to hit you." Shawn stated and crossed his arms over his chest. Shane raised an eyebrow at him. "You have to hit me eventually, Shawn."

Shawn nodded his head in disagreement. "No, Shane. I most certainly do not. I don't want to hit you. So, if I were you, I'd either tag out or hit me. Choose one," Shawn stated, refusing to lift a hand to the younger man. Shane sighed. "Shawn… You have to hit me… If you don't, kiss your job goodbye. You and Paul will be fired if you don't hit me… And my team won't tag me out until you guys get a shot in." Shane stated, looking down in embarrassment. Shawn narrowed his eyes in anger. "You're kidding me, right?" He asked. Shane nodded his head no, so Shawn turned to look at Paul.

"What," Paul asked. Shawn walked over to Paul and leaned in close to him. "They won't tag him out until we hit him… If we refuse to, we'll get fired. What the hell do I do?" Shawn asked. Paul sighed and tagged himself in. "I'll deal with this… I'm not afraid to touch him." Paul stated as he climbed in to the ring and approached Shane. He stood face to face with his brother in law for a few moments. "Please tell me you're going to hit me… Or if you have a plan, that's cool, too."

Paul stared at Shane a moment longer. He didn't have enough time to think of a plan that could possibly work. He sighed and looked back at Shawn, then at Shane. He swung his fist so fast he wasn't even sure if he nailed Shane or not, until he saw Shane fall back and grab a hold of his cheek. "Sorry for this… Ya know… Ahead of time." Paul stated. Shane gave a quick nod, letting Paul know he acknowledged what he said. Paul sighed and charged at Shane; throwing punches at him until he was able to Irish whip him into the ropes.

Paul watched in shock as Shane flew against the ropes. It wasn't the shock that he actually Irish whipped him… It was the shock of Tyson pulling down on the top rope and making Shane fly over it… Backwards. Mike Chioda, however, signaled for Tyson to get into the ring… Saying he saw a "tag" when Shane went over.

Tyson got in the ring with little argument, which somewhat surprised Paul. He walked over to Paul and got close to him. "Reso and Orton aren't around to save your asses. And McMahon isn't allowed to raise a hand in this match. What are you two gonna do…? Huh?" Tyson seethed. Paul narrowed his eyes angrily. "I'm not quite sure yet, but I guess that whole segment didn't work out to your advantage… Did it?"

Tyson raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about," He asked. Paul chuckled. "Well, for one, Vince was able to make me hit his son… However, you grabbed a hold of the top rope. Mike Chioda saw a tag. So… You cut the beating short." Paul stated. He thoroughly enjoyed watching Tyson's face as he put things together in his mind and figured everything out. "Shit!" Tyson shouted as he swung a fist at Paul's face.

Paul dodged the obvious fist and ducked under the second swing. He delivered a powerful uppercut to Tyson's abdomen, then kicked him and DDT'ed him. He was able to drag Tyson away from his corner of the ring and closer to Shawn, where he knew he would be safe. Paul pointed over at Ric. "This is for you." He stated, then put Tyson in a Figure Four leg lock. He enjoyed watching Rick freak out to the point where Dave had to hold him back. Mike Chioda was _very_ active in this match and he wasn't going to let anything slide… Not even an interference from any side of the ring.

Mike Chioda was hovering, constantly checking to see if Tyson wanted to tap out. Paul had him in a great position to avoid a break up from Tyson's team and, of course, rope grabbing. Paul waited patiently, not even bothering to exert all his strength into the submission hold… He knew Tyson wasn't going to tap out yet. It was just instigating. Hopefully Tyson would tag Ric in. He'd be easy to deal with. Tyson was eventually able to roll over and reverse the hold, so Paul broke it and rolled away quickly. He stood up and looked at Shawn.

"Hunter!" He shouted, gesturing wildly behind him.

Paul turned and ducked at the same time, narrowly avoiding Dave and Ric's attempt at a double team. He watched, completely dumbfounded, as Dave and Ric tripped over Tyson and fell. Mike and Paul made eye contact. "I have… NO… Words for that." Paul stated, making Mike put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Paul looked over at Shawn, as if questioning what he wanted to do. "Where's Shane?" Shawn asked.

Paul shrugged his shoulders and tossed both Ric and Dave out of the ring. He grabbed a hold of Tyson and Pedigreed him. He was about to roll Tyson over for the cover, but Dave ran in the ring and pulled Paul away. Dave and Paul started exchanging fists, completely ignoring Mike Chioda's attempts to separate them. Shawn looked confused and somewhat hesitant as to what to do until he saw Ric climbing in the ring. He hopped in, ran over to Ric and delivered some Sweet Chin Music, making the older man fall back out of the ring. Shawn turned his attention to Dave and Paul and stared at them. Calculating their every move.

If he missed, Paul would have his head… Or, what's left of it…

Shawn took three steps forward and delivered a perfectly aimed Sweet Chin Music at Dave's head. Dave fell back and rolled out of the ring. Paul looked at Dave, then back at Shawn. "You really freaking took a chance on that one." He stated. Shawn nodded. "I know." Shawn helped Paul up, then went back to the corner of the ring and patiently awaited a tag.

Paul Irish Whipped Tyson into the rope and delivered a Spinebuster. He walked over to Shawn and tagged him in, then watched as he dropped an elbow from the top rope. He nipped up and got ready for Sweet Chin Music.

"Stop this! I can't take it anymore," Paul and Shawn turned their attention to Vince McMahon, who was gesturing angrily with his free hand. "You two had better stop it right now," Shawn and Paul looked at one another with confused faces. "Is he serious?" Shawn asked Paul, making him shrug his shoulders and look back at Vince. "Listen, guys… I understand you think you can convince me to do the right thing and stop whatever it is I'm doing wrong… You can do that… If you lay down. Let Tomko pin you."

Shawn and Paul looked at one another again, then burst into laughter. "Are you insane, old man? Do you really think we'd give in so easily? Do you really think we don't have plans of our own? There's something really wrong with you, Vince… This proves it." Paul stated. He once again locked eyes with Shawn and gave a slight nod. The smaller man delivered a super kick to Tomko. "I'm warning you, Michaels!" Vince shouted, watching as Shawn eyed him for a moment, then covered Tomko. Chioda counted down. "One… Two… Three."

Lillian Garcia was about to announce D-X as the winners of the match when Dave and Ric stormed over to her, pushed her out of the way and grabbed a hold of the steel chairs she was standing near. Shawn and Paul stood back to back in the ring, one man facing the major direction, ready for a fight. "I warned you, D-X. You didn't want to listen to me. If there's one thing you should do, it's NEVER cross the boss. I'm…" Vince's voice trailed off as Christian came running out of nowhere and knocked Vince over. Paul turned around just in time to see Randy jump over the barricade, grab a hold of Ric and toss him into the steel stairs. He ducked under Dave's chair swing and tackled him, then beat him to the ground and hit him with the steel chair.

Christian and Randy slid into the ring and slowly approached D-X. "So… Are you two back for good now?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow at them as he did so. Randy and Christian looked at one another, then back at the older men in front of them. "Hell yeah. We're not gonna let Vince try and control our lives… It's about time we stood up for what we believe in." Christian replied. Randy raised an eyebrow and gestured behind Paul and Shawn, where Vince was now standing and looking quite disgusted.

"I can't believe the nerve of you two! I took away your contracts and you're still here, trying to defend D-X against my wrath! Don't you know that I'm the boss and what I say goes? I could have you two thrown in jail for breaking and entering… Or… Or something else!" Vince shouted, gesturing wildly. "Actually..," Everyone in the ring turned to look at Shane, who was holding a microphone and standing on the steel stairs. "I think I should confess something right about now," Shane stepped into the ring and walked over to his father, then stood face to face with him. "I'm responsible for Christian and Randy Orton being here tonight. If you don't like it… Confront me on Raw."

"You better watch what you wish for." Vince growled back.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait… I think you guys know what I'm going to say, though. School. Papers. Homework. Ech. And, not to mention, my neighbor started up a film and I was helping him on the set… All five days it took to film… Lol.**

**I apologize for the choppiness of the chapter, too. I once again couldn't decide what I wanted to do. **


	16. One Of Those Nights

Like Old Times

11/15/04

Shawn and Paul sat back in their locker room. It was strangely silent and... Calm. They weren't running around trying to find someone. They weren't worried about someone coming to attack them. For the first time in a long time, everything was normal.

"Are we supposed to be this calm? I'm not used to this. Can we cause a ruckus to get things moving?" Shawn asked. Paul understood where he was coming from, but they deserved the rest. "Oosa, Shawn. Oosa. Just relax. I know it feels weird not to be doing anything, but just calm down. We need to relax." Paul replied, making Shawn nod his head.

"But its weird. We're not scheduled to do anything on the show. And we're not hiding from anyone. Or running to save someone. It's just... Odd." Shawn stated. Paul nodded his head in agreement. "Believe me, buddy. I know. But something is bound to happen. And we need to be ready for it. So just keep calm and collected and we'll be fine."

Neither man got up when Chyna walked in the room. It didn't make her angry. Hell, it was just like old times. She put her stuff down where it belonged, sat down and looked at them.

"Rough night?" She sarcastically asked, successfully making both men crack a smile. "Yeah. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. I have so much shit to do." Paul replied, stretching out his arms and cracking his knuckles. "That's disgusting." Shawn commented, inching away from his best friend.

Paul rolled his eyes at Shawn and felt the need to smack him upside the head. However, he held back on it. Shawn would have killed him if he so much as poked him in the head. What would Shawn do if Paul smacked him? He didn't want to find out.

"So I take it you're not scheduled for anything? It's been awhile since I've seen you guys this calm." Chyna stated. Paul looked over at her and smiled. "Yeah. We have the night off. We were just talking about how calm we are. But, you know the McMahon's. They always seem to start trouble. And our dearest little Shane always seems to be in the middle of it. So we have to keep our guards up, that way we can save him if need be." Paul replied.

Shawn turned to look at Paul with an eyebrow raised. "Do you have the hots for your brother in law or something," He asked. Paul looked at Shawn. "No. I don't. Why would you ask such a thing?" He shouted. "Because you called him 'our dearest little Shane.' Kinda hints that there's more that meets the eye... Not a cool nickname for him, ya know..." Shawn replied, smirking as he noticed Paul's face grow red with embarrassment.

Chyna rolled her eyes in amusement. She was really happy to know Shawn and Paul hadn't changed much since she last saw them hanging out together. They still cracked the most absurd, yet amusing, jokes on one another and never got pissed off. "Anything interesting going on, on the show tonight?" She asked, trying to ease the somewhat awkward tension in the air.

Shawn and Paul looked at her in unison. "Um... Shane is supposed to explain the whole situation regarding how he got Randy and Jay's jobs back. That's all we know for now." Shawn replied. "Yep. Hence why I said we have to keep our guards up. You never know what's going to happen. Especially now that Dave and Ric are in cahoots with Vince." Paul stated in disgust.

"Ugh. Don't remind me." Shawn stated and rolled his eyes. Chyna sighed and stared at the two members of D-X. The fact that Dave and Ric turned on them broke their hearts. She honestly didn't know if there was something she should say to them to assure them everything was going to be okay.

There was a knock on the door, so Paul got up to answer it. He saw Shane standing there, looking just like his old self. He wasn't holding onto the wall or swaying, and he didn't look glassy eyed. Paul smiled at him, so Shane returned the gesture. "Can I come in?" He finally asked.

Paul stepped to the side and allowed Shane access to the room, then closed the door. He turned around just in time to see Shawn jump up in glee and hug Shane. Shane looked confused at first, but he hugged the older man back. "I thought your demon for a father would keep you away from us til the end of time!" Shawn shouted.

Shane chuckled and pulled away from Shawn. "Don't worry, Shawn. Things happen. I'm actually a lot smarter than I look... So you should have a little more faith in me." He replied with a smile on his face. Paul sighed. "We do have faith in you, kid. Its just hard to keep it when we're watching you get your head pounded in." Paul stated matter of factly.

Shane turned to look at Paul and frowned. "Yeah, I understand. Believe me, I'd find it hard to keep the faith if I was watching that, too. But... It's me we're talking about. You never know what to expect." Shane replied with a smirk on his face. "...Right. So what are you doing here?" Paul asked.

"Okay. Two things. One, I came here to check up on you guys and make sure everything is going okay. I see you guys are calm, so I assume everything is going good. Two... I wanted to know if you guys would be willing to keep Randy and Jay in your sights tonight. I don't trust my dad at all. And I don't know what he's planning on doing after I tell him about the contracts." Shane explained.

Paul and Shawn eyed one another, then looked back at Shane in confusion. "You want us to babysit Randy and Jay? What about you?" Shawn asked. Shane shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. I need you guys to watch them. And I don't care about me. You have to make sure they stay safe. Because, as we established, you never know with my dad..,"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Jesus Christ, you are one thick-headed kid! Don't you realize that your dad is pissed at you and not at Randy and Jay?" He asked. Shane snickered in response. "Listen, I realize you guys are ticked at me for not asking for backup and obviously not caring about my own well being. But my dad isn't going to want to hurt me tonight. Not with the surprise I have in store for him." He replied.

The look on his face made Shawn and Paul ease up. There was another knock on the door, so Paul reached over and opened it without looking. Randy and Jay walked in. "You guys can chill here tonight, okay?" Shane asked. Both men nodded their heads as Paul finally acknowledged them and closed the door. "How'd you know Shane was here?" Paul asked. "We figured this was the first place he'd visit before the show… And Arn Anderson told us to tell him he's due at the gorilla." Jay replied. Shane sighed and smiled at everyone, assuring them it would be okay. He left the room without another word.

"This oughta be good..." Shawn mumbled.

Shane made his way down to the ring to a cheering crowd. He smirked. He knew the crowd would forgive him for being a douche. They always did, no matter how horrible he was in the past. He slid into the ring and smiled sweetly at Lillian Garcia as she handed him the microphone. "I wanted to come out here tonight to continue the conversation with my father… To give him a rather undeserved explanation as to how Randy Orton and Christian were able to get new contracts without him knowing… So, if you would be as of so kind as to join me in the ring, dad… Let's get this show rolling,"

He waited semi-patiently for his father to come down to the ring. When a few moments went by with no reaction, Shane started getting angry. "If there's one thing I'm NOT known for, dad… It's my patience. And it's starting to wear thin, just like your hair." He growled, making the fans 'oooooooh' and laugh. Vince came out with Tyson Tomko right behind him, and both men weren't happy in the slightest. They got in the ring and faced Shane.

"Listen here, you disrespectful little..," Vince went to continue, but Shane interrupted him. "Is that the way to start a conversation with me, old man? I have the information you want and not only did you make me wait longer than I had to, but you also were about to insult me. That's not very nice, is it?" Shane asked. Vince closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. Tyson went to charge at Shane, but Vince held up an arm to stop him. "Okay, Shane. I think I understand where you're going with this… You want me to play by your game… What do you want?" Vince asked.

Shane raised an eyebrow. "What do I want..? I don't want anything, dad. I just want to see you get what's coming to you. I want to sit back and enjoy watching you get humiliated. I want to watch you suffer, just like you've made D-X, Randy Orton, Christian and, of course, myself suffer," Shane paused to get in Vince's face. Vince had to look away in shame. His son still had several scars and bruises that refused to fade on his face from Tomko's beating. "Shall we get down to business?" Shane asked, once he felt he had put his point across. Vince rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"This all started the night you wanted to suspend Christian without pay and break up D-Generation X. If you remember correctly, you'll know that was the night I aligned myself with you in attempts to save their careers… You most definitely lied about your intentions with Christian, because you fired him the next day… And the next week, after Randy Orton refused to side with you, you fired him. Since I refreshed the memory in your goldfish brain... I'll get on with my point. I looked into the fine print at the bottom of both of their contracts and noticed something."

Vince was seething at his son. "What the hell are you talking about?" He shouted. "Well," Shane paused to take a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. "It states, and I quote 'termination of this contract before the aforementioned date of expiration by the chairman of the board can be overruled by at least two major stock holders and/or company executives.' That's right, dad. I might have had some help in the matter, but I'm responsible for Christian and Randy getting rehired."

The fans started cheering, which only made Vince that much angrier. "What the hell are you talking about? You're supposed to be on my side here, Shane. That was the deal." Vince responded. Shane smirked at his father. "Dad… If there's one thing you taught me, it's always have a back up plan. I'm glad I had one this time. When you told me you were firing Christian and Orton for no reason, I knew I had to step in and do something… So, I did the one thing I knew I could successfully do without you finding out… And that is going over your head."

"That's one thing you've always been good at, you little disrespectful bastard. Who did you get to co-sign on that with you? Huh?" Vince asked through gritted teeth. Shane's smirk got wider. "I thought you'd never ask."

Linda McMahon's ever so annoying yet super distinguishable entrance song started playing. Vince put on his best deer in the headlights face as he turned to watch her walk down to the ring. Shane was kind enough to hold the rope down for her, then handed her his microphone and took a step away to enjoy the verbal abuse his father was about to go through… As he warned Vince about earlier.

"…Linda…? What are you doing…?" Vince was barely able to speak full sentences. Linda held up a hand to silence him. "I don't care about whatever it is you want to say, Vince. What you've been doing on Raw these passed couple of weeks is wrong. As if it wasn't enough for you to want to suspend Christian and ban both members of D-Generation X from talking to one another… You let one of your lackeys pound on your only son," Linda turned to gesture to Shane. "Look at what you did to his face, Vince. That's all on you, and I'm never going to forgive you for it."

"What…?" Vince muttered. Linda narrowed her eyes angrily at him. "I'll continue speaking in a way I know you can understand, Vince. Shane called me not so long after you fired both Christian and Randy Orton and asked for my help. I gave it to him without a second thought, even though it meant going over your head. We didn't care because we knew it was the right thing to do. You can't fire your employees for no reason and without warning. It's in your contract as the chairman. Shane and I used that to our advantage. We don't care about the consequences, Vince. Because, frankly, there are none. Our word is superior to yours, and it's mentioned in that contract Shane just read out loud. There's nothing you can do in the matter but accept it and call it a day." Linda stated.

Vince went from looking shocked to looking very angry in a matter of seconds. He got in Linda's face, making Shane approach them and get defensive. "If you hit her, I swear to God, I'll kill you." He growled, making Vince look at him briefly. He backed away slightly from his wife. "You think I'm just going to accept what you two did? If it weren't for me, there'd be no World Wrestling Entertainment. You," Vince gestured angrily at Linda. "Would be working at some shitty law firm in Washington D.C. And you," Vince glared at Shane. "Wouldn't be worth a damn thing..," Vince paused to look back at Linda. "I'll make the two of you regret what you've done."

He dropped the microphone without another word and grabbed a hold of his wife, making Shane jump at Vince to get him off of her. However, Shane jumped right into a spear from Tyson Tomko. Tyson straddled Shane and pounded on his face with his huge fists. Shane tried to get Tomko off of him, but the bigger man was just that: a whole lot bigger. It kind of felt like getting beat in the face with an aluminum baseball bat. What made the feeling a whole lot more awkward was the warm blood rushing down Shane's face.

"Get him away from him! Shane!" Linda shouted. Vince shook her roughly. "You want to screw with me, you ungrateful bitch? You and that damn demonic bastard we call a son? And now you expect me to stop Tyson Tomko from showing Shane a lesson? You must be out of your mind!" Vince shouted.

Linda had the feeling he would have continued if D-X's theme song hadn't started playing over the loud speakers. Paul walked down the ramp at a speed that wasn't acceptable for the situation unfolding in the ring. However, it did its job of making Vince and Tyson stop what they were doing. Vince unhanded Linda and stepped away, and Tyson stood up to face the ramp. Paul reached the ring but didn't get in it.

"Where's your little friends, Triple H?" Tyson shouted at him. Paul replied by gesturing for Tomko to look around. When he did, he noticed Shawn standing in the front row near the center of the camera side, Randy standing in front of the commentating booth, and Christian standing opposite of Shawn. Vince took the microphone out of Linda's hand. "And… Dare I ask what the hell the four of you want?" He asked.

Randy reached over and grabbed a microphone from Jerry Lawler. "I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure that one out, Vince. Have your gorilla over there back away from Shane, get away from your wife, leave them alone and we'll be on our way… Taking them with us, of course." He replied. Vince turned to glare at Randy. "And what makes you think I'm going to listen to you?" He shouted.

Paul chuckled, making Vince look back at him. "I think you should take a look at this." He stated and gestured to the TitanTron. A video of Dave and Ric tied up in the showers started playing. Vince closed his eyes and sighed in frustration, then turned to look at Tomko. He gave a slight nod, making Tomko back fully away from Shane. Vince took the moment to back away from Linda. "Let us leave and you can have what you want."

Vince and Tomko exited the ring and carefully approached the ramp, where Paul was still standing and glaring at them. They walked by without causing any trouble, so Paul took that as his opportunity to slide into the ring. Linda was already kneeling near Shane, who was trying to sit up and wince away the pain in his head. Randy slid into the ring and helped ease Shane into a sitting position. Shawn and Christian jumped the barricades and slid into the ring, but mostly concentrated on making sure there would be no sneak attacks.

Paul knelt down next to Shane. "You okay, kiddo?" He asked. Shane looked up at him angrily. "Do I look like I'm okay, Paul? Jesus Christ, I feel like I have no face," Shane winced again and tried to wipe blood away from his eyes. Paul couldn't really tell where it was coming from. "And… God help me, if you tell me 'I told you so,' I will hurt you… Got it?" He asked. Randy chuckled at him. "Now, now, Shane-O… We're here to help you, not kick you while you're down… Come on, let's get you up and backstage for some help. Mark is going to have a ball fixing you up."

Shane rolled his eyes in disgust. "Oh God… That's not something I look forward to right now," He stated, making Randy laugh. "No one does, buddy. Come on, lean on me," Randy put Shane's arm around his shoulders and pulled him up. Shane swayed unsteadily, but Randy held him still for a moment so he was able to shake the cobwebs loose. "When did you guys get a hold of Dave and Ric?" He asked, putting his head as close to Randy's ear as possible. "Right after you left. We had a feeling Vince was going to try something. It's a good thing we acted on it, too." He replied.

Randy and Shane took a step forward, however, Shane's knee buckled. He would have fell to the ground if Randy weren't keeping a firm hold on him. "Fuck," Shane grumbled, trying to regain himself. Randy rolled his eyes. "You are probably one of the most stubborn people I've ever met in my life. I told you to lean on me. If you don't do as I tell you, I'm going to make Paul grab a hold of your other arm so you have no choice in the matter. Do you understand me?" Randy asked. Shane chuckled. "You love being the dominant one, don't you?" He replied.

Randy tried to figure out whether or not he should answer Shane's question. Or, rather, _how_ he would be able to answer it. He was able to get Shane out of the ring and backstage without any trouble, but noticed Shawn at his side at all times in case he needed anything. Randy headed straight for Mark Eaton's room until he felt a tug on his shirt.

"Do not go to Eaton's. Go to someone's locker room. Much safer that way." Shane whispered. Randy nodded in agreement and changed directions, making Shawn, Paul, Jay and Linda extremely confused. They walked into D-X's locker room and shut the door, locking it behind them just in case of anything.

"Okay. Now what?" Shawn asked. Paul handed his brother in law a towel and directed his mother in law to sit on the couch. Shane took a seat on the floor, as did Randy and Jay. Shawn was standing with his hand on the TV, as if he was deep in thought about something. Paul didn't want to bother him, so he left him alone.

"We obviously have to get a medic for Mr. Broken Nose over here," Jay stated as he gestured to Shane. Shane narrowed his eyes angrily at Jay from behind the towel as he once again ran it down his face. "It's not only my nose. I think my eyelid was split open," Shane replied, dabbing the towel gently where he thought there was a cut. "At least he knows to close his eyes when fists are rocketing at his face…" Jay stated with a shrug of his shoulders, making Randy and Paul chuckle. "I obviously can't look at myself… So… Where am I cut, guys?" Shane asked, turning to Randy and Jay for help.

Randy sighed and took the towel from Shane, then rubbed especially hard on areas that were split open, making Shane wince. "You certainly know how to ruin a calm night." Paul stated, making Shane look over at him. "Yeah… I do. I'm not known to be calm." Shane replied, glaring at Randy whenever he rubbed too hard. Linda sighed. "Shane... Things would've been fine out there if you didn't have such a temper."

Shane jumped up, making Randy drop the towel he was holding. "Are you serious, mom? If I didn't jump to try and get dad away from you, he probably would've hit you! You should know how bad his temper is… Jesus, you act as if I didn't get my temper from him." He shouted. Paul, Jay, Randy and Linda stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you insinuating that, if you didn't get your face pounded in, Vince would've hit Linda?" Jay asked. Paul rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone insist on asking stupid questions? He wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it."

"Can everyone just shut the hell up for a little while!" Shawn's voice echoed in the room, returning back to his ears a little too harsh for his pounding headache to stand. He put a hand to his head and leaned a little more onto the TV. His vision was starting to go blurry and he was dizzy as hell.

The room went silent for a mere moment.

As if the TV falling over wasn't a loud enough noise to make everyone look up, Shawn groaned and fell to the side, successfully hitting both the wall and the TV on the way down.

"Holy shit! Shawn," Paul shouted and scrambled over to Shawn, kneeling at his side to see if he was okay. Randy and Shane were at his side in seconds. "Fuck. He's knocked out." Paul sat down and put a hand to his head, rubbing it in frustration.

Shane and Randy looked up at Paul. "What do we do? There's no way we can stay here… He could've given himself a concussion." Randy stated, making Paul stand up and pace a little. Leave it to Shawn to knock himself unconscious on the one damn day they didn't have anything to do. Paul looked down at Shawn and rubbed his head, then sighed and knelt down again. "We should probably take him to the hospital, just to be safe."

* * *

**A/N: I was going to continue this chapter, but I decided it was long enough already. I think this is going to be coming to an end soon… It's not going to be anywhere as long as 'Dark Reflections' is, that's for sure. There's only so much I can do with a super concussed Shawn. It'll have a bittersweet ending, like all of my fics do. LOL.**

**I want to wish everyone a great holiday season. I might update again before the New Year, but if I don't… Have a great night. **


	17. Stars In Your Eyes

Like Old Times

11/16/04

Paul paced back and forth in the hallway outside of Shawn's hospital room. The moment he handed the form back o the nurse, the doctor walked over to him and ushered him to the hallway he was currently standing in. The same doctor and two nurses were hovering over his unconscious friend ever since, and that was nearly two hours ago. It was beyond visiting hours, but nobody had the guts to throw him out. Shane and Randy were sitting on the floor in the same hallway, having met up with Paul after Shane got stitched up.

"Are you trying to wear a hole in the floor?" Randy asked. He understood why Paul was nervous, but it was really starting to irritate him. Paul stopped pacing and turned to glare at Randy. "No. Why? Am I bothering you?" He snapped.

Randy glanced over at Shane, who inconspicuously nodded his head no. Randy looked back over at Paul. "No. I just think you need to calm down… You're going to over-excite yourself and wind up as a patient instead of 'just visiting.'" Randy replied. Paul scoffed and resumed pacing. "I don't give a damn about what you think, Orton. Keep your nose out of my business."

"Calm down, Paul." Shane warned. Paul glared at his brother in law. "Shut the fuck up, Shane." He growled. Randy threw his arms up in disgust, then jumped up and stormed over to Paul. "You seriously need to calm the fuck down. Shane and I are in this just as much as you are. You should at least relax enough to talk to the doctor… Looks like he's getting ready to come out here to talk to you… And please, don't be an asshole." Randy muttered.

Paul spun around to look in Shawn's hospital room. Randy was right, the doctor was about to leave the room. He was looking over at Paul every so often. Paul was preparing himself for a ton of ridiculous questions… Were doctors the dumbest people on the planet? Or did they just lack common sense? …Or was it both?

Paul watched as the doctor walked out of the room and over to where he, Randy and Shane were. Randy backed away from Paul and sat next to Shane again. The doctor looked around at everyone, then settled his eyes on Paul.

"I need to speak with you, Mr. Levesque," He stated. Paul sighed and looked over at Randy and Shane. They looked at him indifferently. Paul rolled his eyes at them and turned to look at the doctor. "I'm standing right here, doctor." He replied. The doctor narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. He once again glanced over at Randy and Shane. "Privately, Mr. Levesque… I need to speak with you privately."

Paul narrowed his eyes at the doctor. "These two men are just as willing to listen to what you have to say as I am. They're two of Shawn's closest friends… And I'd appreciate if you respect the fact they worked their asses off to help me with him for the last few months." He stated, struggling to get the words out without breaking down. The whole situation was starting to get to him… Wondering what the doctor wanted to talk to him in private about made him extremely nervous.

The doctor once again looked down at Shane and Randy, then looked back at Paul and sighed. "Okay, Mr. Levesque. Have it your way. We still need to get out of the hallway… Shall we relocate to your friends room?" He asked, gesturing behind him.

Paul, Randy and Shane walked into Shawn's hospital room with the doctor not so far behind. The two nurses were ushered out of the room and the door was shut not so long after. "Right. Now what is this about?" Paul asked, trying to sound nice. The doctor was really testing his patience. "This is about your friend, Mr. Levesque… How long as he been suffering from amnesia?"

"A little over two months… Why," Paul asked. The doctor raised a semi-concerned eyebrow and grabbed a hold of a clipboard. He shuffled through the papers and read over a few things, then looked back at Paul. "You don't find it strange that your friend collapsed out of nowhere?" He asked. Paul looked at Randy and Shane for a moment, then looked back at the doctor. "Of course I do, doctor no-name. Why else would I still be here trying to get some damn answers from you?" He replied.

The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry. I never introduced myself… I'm Doctor Hedberg. And your friend is a very interesting case, Mr. Levesque. It says here he suffered from a Grade III concussion on September 12th and is now suffering from retrograde amnesia… A doctor in Miami prescribed Amytal on October 7th. Does this sound right so far," Doctor Hedberg asked. Paul nodded his head yes. "Okay, good. Has Amytal been helping at all?"

"Shawn said it was… I mean… He would remember bits and pieces of things. He'd describe them to me exactly as they happened, then ask when it occurred and the reasoning behind it. You see, he's very confused about a lot of his memories… We're professional wrestlers with the WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment. I think he's confusing his identity as a person with his character on television. Other than that, he seems to be okay… I mean… He never really… Acts funny… Although he did change as a person from the things he's remembering to now. He's a born again Christian… But he can't seem to remember that."

Doctor Hedberg nodded his head, as if trying to put everything together and make sense of it. "Okay, so he remembers things about his career. That's good. How about his family? It says here he's married. Did he encounter his wife at all?" He asked. Paul nodded his head yes. "Yeah, he did, actually. I was with him. He seemed perfectly normal towards his wife and his young son. He was gentle, caring and loving. There was no real difference from how he would usually act… Except there was a strange look in his eyes… Kinda like he was distant, but there at the same time."

Doctor Hedberg once again nodded his head. "I know exactly what you mean. I've heard that description from a lot of people who are going through a similar situation. I have one last question for you… And I know you're not going to like it, mostly because I'm not going to like asking it. But it has to be answered, so please don't ignore it. Do you know if Shawn has been… Overdosing on Amytal?"

Paul's eyes widened. "What the fuck did you just say?" He shouted. He went to storm over to Doctor Hedberg, but Randy and Shane grabbed a hold of him and prevented him from doing so. "Calm down, Paul!" Randy shouted. Doctor Hedberg walked over to them. "Relax, Mr. Levesque. I'm not saying Shawn did overdose; it's just standard procedure to question it… Especially when the patient is unresponsive after collapsing for no reason whatsoever. I mean no offense, Mr. Levesque. Believe me."

Paul stopped struggling against Randy and Shane. They released his arms, but stood at his sides in case he had other ideas. "Okay… I'm sorry… No, I don't know if Shawn has been overdosing on Amytal. I would highly doubt it, since he always complains about having to take it. He never really liked taking prescription medicine after overdosing on pain killers years ago…" Paul let his eyes settle on the floor. "So this is a very touchy subject with you. I apologize, Mr. Levesque. I honestly didn't know… Anyway, I just wanted to tell you gentlemen that we have no idea why he passed out, nor do we know when he's going to wake up. I apologize for being so blunt, but there's no other nice way to break it down for you. I'll be down the hall if you need me… Once again, I'm sorry for what I said." Doctor Hedberg looked each man in the eyes, then left the room and shut the door behind him.

"…What now..?" Randy asked. Paul shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Orton. I guess we wait around until he wakes up…" Paul replied. He sat down in the chair that was placed next to Shawn's bed and looked at his friend. He hated seeing Shawn unconscious, despite the fact he looked extremely innocent. Shane looked around the room with disinterested eyes… Did all hospitals have to look the same?

Shane settled his eyes on Shawn and noticed his face scrunched up. "Paul!" Shane shouted, making Paul look back at Shane, only to be directed to turn around and look at Shawn again. Shawn slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. "Oh… My God... Are you okay, Shawn? What happened?" Paul asked. Shawn raised a confused eyebrow at Paul. "What are you talking about?"

"What else would I be talking about, Shawn? You passed out and hit your head. Are you okay?" Paul asked. Something was different about Shawn. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew something changed. He looked Shawn in the eyes and saw the difference… The dark cloud that hung over them for the passed two months was gone. Shawn's eyes were as clear as crystal.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Paul… Are you sure you're okay," Shawn asked. He looked over at Shane and Randy and once again raised a confused eyebrow. "What happened to your face, Shane?" He asked, his eyes widening in slight horror. Shane and Randy turned to look at one another. They looked back at Shawn with their eyebrows raised.

"Shawn… Is that you?" Paul asked. Shawn turned to look at Paul, once again giving his best friend his full attention.

"Of course it is, weirdo! Who else would it be?"

* * *

**A/N: There ya have it. Not too long or painful. Hope you liked it.**


	18. Mad As Rabbits

Like Old Times

11/16/04

"Shawn… Is that you?" Paul asked. Shawn turned to look at Paul, once again giving his best friend his full attention.

"Of course it is, weirdo! Who else would it be?"

Paul stared back at Shawn in shock. He couldn't believe what he just heard Shawn say. It definitely was _his_ Shawn… But… Does that mean he didn't remember anything that's been happening for the last few months?

Paul leaned in closer to Shawn. "I have a question to ask you… And you can't take it as a joke, okay," Paul asked, making Shawn nod his head in agreement. "Good boy. What's the last thing you remember?" He asked. Shane and Randy turned to look at Shawn, eager to hear his response to the question. If he didn't recall any recent events, they were going to have to think of ways to break it to him gently. A lot happened since Shawn 'changed.'

"Umm… Wow, I don't even know… A lot of things are hazy, quick flashes that make no sense whatsoever… Why?" Shawn asked. The serious looks on the faces of the men around him were starting to make him slightly nervous. "Well… There's something we have to tell you… But you have to promise you won't freak out… Okay?" Paul asked.

Shawn raised a confused eyebrow. "What could you possibly tell me that would make me freak out?" He asked. Paul sighed and looked over at Randy and Shane, then looked back at Shawn and looked him in the eyes. "Well… At Unforgiven, Glenn tombstoned you onto a steel chair… You won the match despite suffering a severe concussion… I mean… You collapsed after the match and had to get rushed to the hospital."

"What are you getting at?" Shawn asked, the skeptic look on his face changing into a more concerned one. Paul looked over at Randy and Shane, silently begging one of them to take over the conversation. Shane edged a little closer to Shawn, making the older man turn to look at him instead of looking at Paul. "Well… When you were at the hospital, they ran a CAT scan and found out that, on top of your concussion, you also suffered from retrograde amnesia… I mean… You forgot so many things. You thought D-X was still together, so we brought it back…"

"You guys got into this whole feud with Tyson Tomko and Christian… And eventually Vince got involved and… We found out Vince was the one who was behind everything… Going back to your match at Unforgiven. He even turned the majority of Evolution against you and Paul… Christian split away from Tomko so he could join our side. The good side. And Shane here damn near made the dumbest decision of his life by trying to save D-X's career…" Randy continued.

Shawn looked back and forth at the men in front of him. Were they really being serious with him right now? "Are you guys kidding me? How long have I been out of it?" He asked. Paul sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, Shawn… You've been out of it for about two months now…"

Paul watched as Shawn's eyes widened. "…What? Two months..? How did… Where… Why… Does my… What?" Shawn stuttered. He wasn't able to form words due to the excessive amounts of thoughts running through his mind.

"Shawn… You promised you weren't going to get worked up… So you have to try and remain calm, okay? I'm going to try and answer all of the questions you have… But you have to stay calm. Is that a deal?" Paul asked. Shawn nodded. "You got it." He responded, still unable to get a hold of his thoughts.

"Okay… You've been a different person… Actually, you've been the old Shawn for about two months now. You're been yelling and cursing… You've actually been a very unpleasant person to those you don't care for… You also got along with Bret Hart when we were at the show in Montreal," Paul noticed the odd look Shawn gave him, so he chuckled. "Sorry, I had to mention that part. I wanted to see your reaction to it."

"Other than… The fact that I've been acting like my old, embarrassing self… What else has been going on? I mean… Other than the feud with McMahon and all that jazz?" Shawn asked.

"Nothing really. I mean… The feud with McMahon turned into a really big thing. When Christian didn't want to join forces with him, he suspended him. He was going to do the same to us, but Shane stepped up and met his father's demands… It was pretty much his job for our careers. However, when Shane joined forces with Vince, things got a whole lot worse and Christian was fired… As was Randy when Evolution was lured to Vince's side. Shane and Linda got together and overruled Vince's decision and got them their jobs back… But, as you can see, Shane paid the price for it." Paul gestured to Shane's face, which Shane waved off. "Don't worry about any of this… We have to decide what we're going to do about my dad."

Paul put a hand to his head in disgust. "You're right… We have to decide how we want to go about this whole feud now that Shawn is back to normal… The whole thing was about the mistreatment of his employees… But now that Shawn is okay, it kind of defeats the purpose… Unless we want to continue it to defend your honor, Randy… As well as Christian's." Paul replied. Randy shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, it seems like an okay idea… But what role will Shawn play? What if… Someone hits him in the head again and he goes right back into the amnesia thing?"

"I'm almost positive that won't happen… If anything, I'll make him wear a helmet." Paul stated. "What do you think, Shawn?" Shane asked. Paul and Randy looked over at Shawn. Shane had a point to ask Shawn… They were talking about him like he wasn't even in the room, after all.

"What Vince has been doing isn't right… Paul..," Shawn paused to look Paul in the eyes. "You'd better get that helmet."


	19. Second Wind

Like Old Times

11/17/04

Just as Paul was leaving the hospital with Shawn on Wednesday morning, his cell phone started blaring its default ringtone. Paul sighed as he fished around in his pocket for the blasted piece of technology, then brought it closer to his face so he could read it.

"Who is it?" Shawn asked.

"Jay Reso," Paul exchanged a concerned glance with Shawn, then accepted the call and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Paul? Hey, it's Jay. Are you with Shawn?"

"Yeah, he just got released from the hospital."

"Is he okay?" Jay asked.

"Yep. Good as he was four months ago." Paul replied.

"Wait, he got his memory back?" Jay asked.

"Shhh! Not so loud!" Paul shouted.

"Sorry," Jay mumbled. "So, I was wondering if you guys remembered a tiny piece of information I told you when we were in Montreal…"

"Such as?" Paul asked, putting the phone on speaker once he and Shawn were safely in Paul's rental car.

"My wife and parents…" Jay replied.

"Oh my God. I almost forgot about that!" Paul stated.

"Hence why I decided to call and ask…"

"Listen, Jay… I promise I'll call Scott later and ask him about it. I actually called him when I said I was going to. All I have to do is touch base with him." Shawn stated.

"…Was that Shawn on the phone?" Jay asked.

"You're on speaker phone until we get to the hotel. So, yes, that was Shawn." Paul replied.

"Gotcha. How are ya, Shawn?"

"Confused about some things, but otherwise dandy, thanks for asking. Yourself?"

"Stressed."

"I feel ya, brother." Paul stated.

"Why did you just randomly decide to impersonate Hulk Hogan?" Shawn asked.

"I don't know. Felt it was necessary." Paul replied.

Shawn rolled his eyes.

"So… What should we do about Raw? Are you gonna tell Vince about Shawn?" Jay asked.

"Absolutely not! It'll be our little secret." Paul replied.

"Ours, Randy's and Shane's, that is…" Shawn stated.

"Well, yeah… Them, too."

"Am I the only one who didn't know about this?" Jay asked.

"Well, it sort of just happened…" Paul replied.

"It was a spontaneous thing, really. We were busy trying to keep the press and the fans away. We were gonna tell ya today, though. Honest." Shawn stated.

Jay remained quiet for a few moments.

"So… What's the plan, then?"


	20. In Between

Like Old Times

11/22/04

Paul and Shawn looked at one another in slight shock.

"Don't look at each other like that. I'm serious," Shane stated, making Shawn shake his head in mild annoyance. "Take it!"

Shawn scoffed and grabbed the football helmet from Shane's hand.

"You can't expect me to actually wear this," Shawn declared, however, Shane continued staring at him. "Are you kidding me?" Shawn asked.

"Look, you guys told me you needed a helmet. Vulah, I brought you a helmet."

"Yeah, like a bike helmet or something like that. Not your football helmet from high school. I could've gotten mine!" Shawn shouted.

Shane rolled his eyes and extended his hand to grab the helmet. "Yeah, but does your helmet have a detachable face mask?" He asked.

Shawn and Paul once again exchanged a glance.

"No…"

"No? Didn't think so. And I even brought black and green spray paint. Now… What do you think?"

Shawn sighed and looked down at the football helmet again. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"

"Not really." Paul replied.

"Didn't think so. Okay… I'll use it."

"Good boy! Are you going to spray paint it for him, Shane-O?" Paul asked.

Shane shrugged. "If you want me to."

Paul snatched the helmet out of Shawn's hand and gave it back to Shane. "Please! The lefty is always messing something up somehow."

"Hey!" Shawn shouted.

"What? It's true! Last time I gave you spray paint, you wrote letters backwards."

Shane looked Shawn in the eyes. "You did what?"

"Yeah… I… Um… Whatever! What are we going to do about your dad?"

Shane shrugged. "Don't know. I thought you two were coming up with something, then telling Randy, Jay and I."

Paul sighed. "Yeah, well… Sometimes even I can't think of everything. I really don't know what to do this time, kiddo. I was hoping you'd have some ideas for me."

"I seriously hope you're absolutely serious about this whole thing with my dad before you ask me for input."

"I'm serious. Been serious for a few months now… Just needed the motivation to make the change." Paul replied.

Shane sighed, then smiled. "Okay. If you want to make my dad suffer, you're gonna have to hit him where it hurts."

"His wallet?" Shawn asked.

"Yeah… That's also his pride. So you're kinda killing two birds with one stone."

"How do we go about doing such a thing?" Paul asked.

"Go on the show. Rebel. Convince the public you're right, which won't be hard for you to do. Get as many people as humanly possible to back you on whatever you do."

"That can't possibly be it. We've been doing that for the passed few months!" Paul shouted.

"Yeah, but you have two assets now that you didn't have back then. One: the Board of Directors is now involved and is taking care of the business aspect of things. Two: Shawn is better now and nobody really knows. Use that to your advantage." Shane stated.

"You're a smart cookie, Shane. Don't you realize that's simply not enough?" Paul asked.

"If there was ever a time where you two should just be quiet and listen to me, it's right now. I think you guys forget that I'm also a stock holder of this company, so I literally know everything that's going on."

"You didn't know about your dads involvement in this." Paul retorted.

"Okay, that's one thing, and I'm sorry about that. If I knew ahead of time, I would have stopped it, but I didn't so I'm trying to make up for that now." Shane replied.

"Do you know something we don't?" Shawn asked.

"I usually do. This little bit of information is supremely important."

"Are you planning on telling us?"

"You know me, boys. Anything for a friend. The Board of Directors is currently revising my dads contract for termination."

"Termination? Won't he just get a new one? Like how you got Randy and Jay back?" Paul asked.

"Well… Not exactly. Everything works differently. The Board of Directors takes the termination of superstars' contracts very seriously. Actual business employees..? Well… There has to be legitimate evidence proving why termination of the contract is necessary, and then the Board will look into it."

"So… Are you saying they're really gonna fire him?"

"Give it about a week, as they have over three months of evidence to review."

"Oh my God. All hell is gonna break loose."

"Not really, since the CEO will be put in charge." Shane replied.

"No offense to your mom, because God knows I love her, but I don't think she's gonna be able to handle this company. Too many rowdy guys running around." Shawn stated.

"She has some great employees to help her." Shane commented, wrapping his arms around Paul and Shawn's shoulders.

"So… About the show tonight… What should we do?" Paul asked.

"Follow my lead… Nothing could possibly go wrong." Shane stated.

Paul and Shawn eyed one another.

"That's what scares me."

* * *

**A/N: Sometimes I feel like I force myself to think too hard and come up with something to have happen in this fic. I literally don't know what to do any more and it frustrates me. I'm going to come up with a way to end this in less than five chapters and go with it, unless I come up with some golden plot I can go with or someone gives me an awesome idea, lol. **

**Here's another reminder: if anyone has any fic requests, feel free to message one to me. **


	21. Step Up

Like Old Times  
11/22/04

"So... You'll help us, right?"

Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jim "J.R." Ross glanced at one another.

"I wish you gave us more time to think this through, kid." J.R. replied.

"I know it's terrible timing, but we really need people to back us on this..." Shane stated.

"And there's no better time than five minutes before air time?" Jerry asked, then tried to give Shane a stern look.

"That look is wasted on me, Jerry. Sorry for my timing on this. Just try to gear your thoughts towards D-X, Randy and Jay, okay?"

"What about you and your mom?" J.R. questioned.

"Minimal amount of mentions as possible... Unless I pop up on the show."

J.R. and Jerry once again exchanged a glance.

"Alright, we're in."

"Thanks, guys. Love ya. Bye." Shane stated and took off through the crowd.

* * *

Once back in the D-X locker room, Shane gave Paul and Shawn the thumbs up.

"They're both in?" Paul asked.

"They're both in." Shane confirmed.

"Awesome. Now we have to wait for Randy and Jay to get back..."

No sooner did the sentence escape his mouth, Randy and Jay burst through the door and slammed it shut.

"Alright... The majority of the guys we spoke to are in. Cena included... That'll help a lot because of the influence he has over the fans." Randy stated.

"Does anyone know about Shawn?" Paul asked.

"I didn't say anything." Jay replied.

"Same." Randy said.

"Not a damn word from my mouth either." Shane stated.

"Good... Because that's hella important."

"Isn't it bad to lie to everyone?" Shawn asked.

"If we don't lie, the Board will drop the investigation." Shane replied, narrowing his eyes at Shawn.

"Don't second guess this now, Shawn. We're in way too deep." Paul stated.

"Sorry." Shawn mumbled.

"That's fine."

"So, what's the plan, then?" Jay asked.

"Simply? Fuck things up," Shane replied, checking his phone as he did so. "Alright... So, it turns out that Vinnie Mac wants to meet with D-X in the ring tonight. Apparently he won't bring his muscle if you guys don't bring Randy and Jay."

"How do you know?" Paul inquired.

"Just got a text from him." Shane replied, holding up his phone so everyone could see the screen.

"I don't like how that sounds." Jay frowned.

"Neither do I... But I guess we don't have a choice." Paul replied.

"You guys only have about three minutes to decide... He wants to open the show." Shane explained.

"Shit. Sick feeling of déjà vu right now." Randy stated.

"Nothing can get worse than what happened last week." Shane argued.

"Stop saying that, Shane-O. I feel like every single time that comes out of your mouth, something worse _always_ happens!" Paul shouted.

"My bad."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Paul sighed. "Tell your old man we're in."

Shane nodded and sent the text. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too," Paul turned to look towards Shawn. "I need you to... Stop being you."

Shawn looked baffled. "Pardon?"

"Stop being polite. Stop being... How you are right now. Get angry. Be the Shawn of 1997."

Shawn narrowed his eyes angrily. "I don't like that guy."

"I know you don't, and neither do I. But you have to be that Shawn, or Vince will know something is up."

"I know."

"Okay... Do you need anything to snap you back a few years?" Shane asked.

"Yeah," Shawn turned to look at Shane. "Hit me."

"No way, man." Shane replied.

"I'll do it." Paul stated.

"No, I want Shane to do it."

Shane sighed. "I'm not going to enjoy this..."

Randy, Jay and Paul watched with amusement as Shane balled his hand into a fist, reared back and punched Shawn in the face. The three were surprised to see Shawn stumble backwards.

Paul was terrified to see the angry glint reappear in Shawn's eyes. "Okay... Let's get this over with..."

* * *

By the time Shawn and Paul got to the gorilla position, Vince was already out in the ring with a microphone, boring the hell out of the fans.

"You ready for this?" Paul asked.

"Shh. Don't talk. You'll ruin the charade." Shawn replied.

Paul smiled. "I'll take that as a yes. Alright, let's go."

"Are you ready?"

Vince angrily watched as D-X made their way to the ring.

"Get the glare out of your stare, old man." Paul stated.

"I was just thinking to myself... How nice it was for you to actually come down to the ring... Just the two of you."

"Well... Likewise... Except it's just you. We aren't gonna get ambushed, are we?"

"I always keep to my word." Vince replied.

Shawn and Paul looked at one another. "That wasn't a no." Shawn pointed out.

"Wasn't a yes, either." Vince stated.

"Well, old man... There's really no reason for us to be out here talking to you right now. I mean... We foiled your plan to use Shane against us... Then we defeated your team at Survivor Series... And now you're in deep with your wife and the Board of Directors. So, unless you want to apologize for being a jerk to us... I think this conversation is over."

Vince eyed Paul for several moments. "I see you've been talking to Shane."

"Stating the obvious." Paul retorted.

Vince narrowed his eyes angrily. "I didn't demand to speak to the two of you out in this ring for the sole purpose of apologizing to you. I don't even want to apologize. I'm Vincent Kennedy McMahon, dammit! I don't apologize to anyone! Now... I called the two of you degenerative juvenile delinquents out here because I want you to apologize to me."

"Ex-freaking-scuse me!?" Shawn shouted.

"You heard me, Michaels! The two of you owe me an apology for everything you've done."

"Have you hit your head recently?" Paul asked.

"You ruined my family. You're turning my own company against me. And, let's face it, you're trying to ruin my career. All the two of you care about is running around, acting like children."

Shawn and Paul looked at one another. They weren't sure if they were hearing things correctly, but they would play along for however long Vince wanted them to.

"You ruined your own family, Vin Man. Everything that's happening now is a result of all of the mistakes you've made." Shawn growled.

"You're one to talk about mistakes, Michaels."

Paul grabbed a hold of Shawn and pulled him away before he even thought about charging after Vince.

"Honestly, Vince... You'd think you'd be a little more careful what you say around us, huh?"

Vince glared at Paul. "You two are the ones making mistakes. The biggest one you've made is allowing my son, and other unfavorable wrestlers like Orton and Christian, to align themselves with you. Does that make you two feel better about yourselves? Having people who are just as miserable and useless as the two of you hang around and help you out with your petty problems?"

Paul once again had to hold Shawn back. "You want to talk about unfavorable wrestlers who are miserable and useless? Okay. We'll shoot you three names. Tyson Tomko. Dave Batista. And, as much as it pains me to say it, Ric Flair. You stole my faction away from me and fired Randy when he didn't want anything to do with you and your stupid schemes. Your plans, whatever they may be, aren't going to cost Tomko, Batista and Flair the respect they've earned from their peers and the fans... But it's going to cost them their jobs. Can't you see that? Honestly, what the hell is so great about destroying peoples lives?"

"You destroy careers, Triple H. You should be able to answer that question on your own." Vince stated.

It was Shawn's turn to grab Paul. "Are you holding us out here as a distraction? If something happens to anyone in that locker room, we're not going to be very happy." Shawn remarked.

Vince smiled evilly. "Wait and see."

* * *

"You'd think they'd stop fucking around and get back here already." Randy grumbled.

"They're playing things his way." Shane replied.

Randy turned to look at him. "I don't see why. That's just resulting in them wasting even more time. They should get to the point and get back here."

"Why? Feeling iffy?" Shane asked.

"I don't know, man. I just feel like they shouldn't play things his way for an extended amount of time. I mean... Your old man wants everyone to play his way. They're only appeasing him."

Shane rubbed his head. "I see what you mean. But, for now, let them handle this the way they want to. If they want to roll with what my dad is doing, then so be it. But, for now, I have an errand to run. I'll be back in a few."

"See ya, kid. Be careful." Jay stated.

"Always," Shane remarked as he left the room. No sooner did he step out the door, he nearly cracked heads with Chyna. "Whoa! Sorry, Joanie."

"It's alright, Shane. Where are you off to?"

"Gotta run an errand. Care to join me?"

Joanie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess. It's better than sitting around with those two."

The two started walking down the hall towards the cafeteria.

"Where ya been?" Shane suddenly asked, taking Joanie by surprise.

"Around. I haven't been here that much, I know... I've been busy." Joanie replied.

"It happens," Shane replied, coming to a halt outside of the door that read 'Mr. McMahon.'

"Shane... We aren't supposed to go in there."

Shane turned to look at her with a sarcastic smirk on his face. "My last name is 'McMahon,' Joanie. Those rules don't apply to me... Well... Technically they do... But I don't care."

Joanie sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Okay, so what are you doing?"

"Breaking into my dad's office." Shane replied, expertly picking the lock on the door.

Joanie watched him in amusement, wondering where the hell he learned to do such a thing. "For what purpose?"

Shane stopped picking at the lock and turned to look at Joanie. "Umm... Business."

"Shouldn't you just make an appointment?"

"You've missed a lot." Shane replied, then turned his attention to the door.

Within ten seconds, the knob clicked as it became unlocked, and Shane stood up to open the door. He held it open for Joanie, then slid into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Now what?" Joanie asked, looking around.

Shane walked over to Vince's desk and started looking at some papers on it. "I have to find something... Just stand guard, okay?"

Joanie rolled her eyes. "Amazing plan you have, Shane."

"What plan? I act first and think later."

"Sarcasm." Joanie dead-panned.

Shane chuckled. "Eureka! Found it!"

Joanie turned and watched as Shane grabbed a piece of paper, folded it up and shoved it into his pocket. "Can we go now?"

Shane nodded and started making his way back to the door.

"Not another step, McMahon."

Shane and Joanie turned around and saw Dave Batista and Tyson Tomko standing behind them.

"Well, damn." Shane replied.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Dave asked.

Shane shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno."

"Don't play games with us." Tomko stated.

"Well... I don't want to play games with the two of you. But, the thing is, I don't take well to people I don't respect. And, quite frankly, you two are nothing more than my father's lackeys. Sorry, but there's nothing commendable about that. Trust me, I'd know."

"You like to run that mouth of yours, Shane. Why don't you put your fists up and prove yourself worthy of hanging with the big boys?"

Shane smirked. "Ooh. Sassy."

Dave glared at him. "Stop being an arrogant bastard."

"Ouch, that hurts. That really hurts, Dave. It's hard to stop being one when I was raised by one... But, I'll try."

"That's it. I'm giving you ten seconds to put up your damn fists, or I'll beat you to the ground." Tomko growled.

"Alright, alright. Do me one favor."

"What?"

"Let Joanie go. Let her leave and you can do whatever you want to me, alright?"

Dave and Tomko turned to look at one another. They muttered to one another, then finally looked back over at Shane and Joanie.

"Fine. She can go."

Shane turned to look at Joanie. "Get out of here."

"What?! No!" Joanie shouted.

"Please. Go." Shane stated.

Joanie saw he wasn't going to let up. "Be careful."

"Yeah," Shane watched her leave, then turned to look at Tomko and Dave. "Ready when you are."

* * *

Joanie ran from the office and started heading back towards the D-X locker room. Ironically enough, she bumped into Randy Orton.

"Thank God it's you!" Joanie shouted.

"Now that's a reaction I haven't heard in awhile..."

"Shut up, Orton!"

"That's more or less what I'm used to." Randy pouted.

"Get serious! Shane needs your help!"

"What? I thought he said he was going on an errand."

"The errand involved breaking into Vince's office." Joanie explained.

Randy snorted. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because he's Shane. He went in there to find a paper or something. Anyway... Batista and Tomko were in there. You have to help him."

"Will do."

Joanie watched as Randy took off towards Vince's office, then promptly broke down the door with one perfectly aimed kick. Randy stormed into the room and took in the sight before him.

Shane was sitting on Vince's desk, looking innocent, as Tomko and Dave writhed in pain on the floor.

"Joanie said you were in trouble..?" Randy stammered.

Shane smirked and held up a lead pipe. "Sometimes you have to cheat to win."

Randy shook his head in amusement. "I guess so... Damn, the way she made it sound, you were either dead or dying."

"Eh. I have ways of avoiding both. Let's get out of here."

Shane hopped off of the desk and started heading for the door. Randy followed suit. No sooner did the two leave Vince's office, Shawn and Paul ran over to them.

"Is everything okay?" Paul asked.

"Yep. Everything is fine."

"Woofa. Good. We went back to Jay and he said the two of you left. Don't do that again!"

"Sorry. I had to snag something. Let's not talk about it here, though. Okay?"

Paul got the hint. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

Jay looked up at everyone when they walked back into the locker room. "Jesus, where the hell did the two of you go?" He asked Randy and Shane.

"Shane went to break into his dad's office. I followed him to make sure he didn't get dead." Randy replied.

Shane rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you'd think you guys would have a little bit of faith in me..."

Paul raised an eyebrow at him. "Er... Right. So, what'd you snag?"

Everyone watched with interest as Shane pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. "The payroll information."

"And this is important... Why?" Randy asked.

"To prove who has been working for my dad since this shit started," Shane stated, then widened his eyes when he realized something. "Really?"

Paul, Shawn, Jay and Randy followed Shane's eyes to Joanie, who was standing with her arms crossed.

"What?" She questioned.

Shane pointed at a line in the paper, then turned it so everyone could see. "According to this, you're receiving miscellaneous bonuses, and you have been since you came back. Care to explain?"

Joanie sighed, feeling the eyes of the five men in the room glaring at her. "McMahon wants me to spy on Shawn and Paul."

"That explains how he knows where we've been." Shawn stated.

"I didn't give him any of that information. Do you honestly think I would do such a thing to you guys? I wouldn't have had a job here if it weren't for the three of you." Joanie gestured to Shawn, Paul and Shane.

"Right, so why are you acting like a snoop?"

"Same reason Jay was working with Tomko. I need the money to support my family. Feeding Vince bogus locations and times is easy enough."

"Speaking of Jay's reason for working with Tomko... Has your brother gotten back to you?" Jay asked Shawn.

Shawn nodded. "Your parents should be free by Wednesday."

"Did you honestly just refer to yourself in the third person?" Randy asked.

"Shut up."

"Back to the more serious matter at hand," Jay and Randy went silent when Paul spoke. "Who else is working with him?"

Shane looked back down at the paper in his hand. "Take a look."

Paul took the paper from Shane and glanced over the names. "Nobody surprising... Except you, Joanie. Why didn't you tell us? We could have screwed him over so hard."

Joanie lowered her head sheepishly. "Sorry. I thought you two would be pissed..."

"What ticks me off is the fact it's been going on for awhile now and you didn't tell us." Shawn replied.

"We can still screw Vince over. He thinks I'm working for him, and he probably won't know Shane took the paper... He might think I grabbed it to prevent him from finding it."

"Not if Dave and Tyson were in there. They'll say Shane grabbed it." Jay stated.

"They didn't get in there until we were about to leave." Shane explained.

"Well, then..," Everyone looked over at Paul. "I think I might have a plan."


	22. Cat's In The Cradle

Like Old Times  
11/29/04

"There's always a way, guys. Always."

Paul, Shane, Shawn, Randy, Jay and Joanie turned to look at Bret Hart as he spoke. Some of them narrowed their eyes (particularly Paul), whereas the others stared at him indifferently.

"We've been fighting this battle for months now... We're not giving up until we win."

Bret smiled and patted Paul's shoulder. "That's the spirit! What's this amazing plan I hear you have?"

"It's gonna go down like this... Shane is..."

Shawn lost complete interest in the conversation when his cell phone rang. He excused himself from the group, walked to the other side of the room and answered his phone. "Hello?"

"Shawn, it's Scott. I just wanted you to know we got Reso's parents away from that lunatic. The pathetic guards that were holding him there were arrested and brought to jail."

"That's amazing! Where were they?"

"Some apartment complex in Florida."

"I highly doubt you went to Florida to fix this, Scott..."

"I have a lot of connections, Shawn. A lot of cops owe me favors."

"You sound like The Godfather."

Scott scoffed. "Just on the opposite side of the law."

"Now you're being creepy..."

"Creepy is my middle name, Shawn! I have to go now. Just wanted to tell you the news. Talk to you later, little brother."

Shawn put his cell phone back in his pocket and returned to the group.

"And what did Vince have to say about that?" Bret asked.

"His usual 'I'm Vincent Kennedy McMahon' routine. The Board pretty much told him to go fuck himself." Shane replied.

"And they're still alive?"

"Well, they have the power to keep or fire him, so... Yeah."

"What are they leaning towards?"

"Fire."

"As in gasoline and matches?" Randy inquired.

"Impulse control, Orton. Learn some." Jay teased.

"Bite me."

"Kinky!"

"Who called you, Shawn?" Paul questioned, making the group turn to acknowledge the fact Shawn rejoined them.

"Scott."

"Who's that?" Jay asked.

"His older brother... What'd he want?"

"He called to tell me the Reso's have been rescued and their 'guards' have been brought to jail." Shawn replied.

"That's awesome news!" Paul exclaimed.

"Where were they? My parents, I mean."

"Somewhere in Florida... Scott didn't say where."

"Awesome! Thank him for me when you get a chance! I'm gonna go call my parents!" Jay shouted and ran from the group.

"Did I miss anything?" Shawn asked.

"Not really. You already know my awesome plan." Paul responded.

"When are you planning on putting that into action?" Bret questioned.

"Whenever I have to."

"Interesting response. I hope you're leaning towards sooner rather than later... You guys can't keep this fight going on forever, you know. You're gonna wear yourselves out."

Paul sighed. "I know, Bret. But... I want to make sure the Board makes the right decision," Paul turned to look at Shane. "Have you heard back from them yet? It's been a week since you said they were going to take a week to decide on it..."

Shane smirked, making Paul groan.

"Ooooooooh! He knows something!" Randy shouted, jumping up and down and pointing at Shane.

Shane eyed the younger man. "Of course I do. My last name is McMahon."

Randy stopped what he was doing and glared at Shane. "Privileged asshole."

"So... Are you going to tell us what the Board said?" Paul asked, once again getting his brother-in-law's constantly diverted attention.

"Umm... No. I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to disclose that information right now. The Board gave me strict orders not to say anything until Raw... Because I have to open the show and confront Vinnie Mac about his recent... Predicament."

Paul looked mildly confused. "Right... Of course. Where does that leave us?" He asked, gesturing to everyone in the room.

"You guys have to stay back here, unless I decide otherwise while in the ring... Yeah, I think that would be best. The Board told me what I have to say... They never mentioned you guys being present for it. But I think it would be better for my dad to hear what they want me to say to him while it's just the two of us in the ring."

"I don't like the sound of that, Shane," Bret stated, eyeing the young McMahon. "Your dad is a dangerous individual, especially when he's angry. Not even I would be crazy enough to let you face him on your own."

Shane chuckled. "I'm not exactly sane either, Bret. I know I've been saying this for the passed few weeks and something has always happened, but you guys have to trust me to go out there and do this by myself. I need to stand up to him and tell him what the Board had to say. You guys will understand when you hear it... It needs to be said without a crowd of people he's wronged surrounding him."

"Shane..."

"Seriously. I'm a big boy. I can handle it."

Shawn and Paul looked back and forth between Bret and Shane. Bret looked like he wanted to either hug Shane for his courage or punch him in the face for his stupidity, and the fact Shane was brave enough to cut Bret off. Shane, on the other hand, looked determined to say whatever he had to say without any backing, and completely flattered that Bret actually cared enough to try and save him from Vince's wrath.

Then again, the scars and fading bruises on Shane's face probably weren't helping.

"Well... If you're gonna go... You'd better start leaving now... The show is about to start." Bret stated, his voice oddly resigned.

Shane smiled, then leaned forward and hugged Bret. Paul and Shawn looked at one another in mild shock. The kid had the balls to cut Bret off when he was about to say something to prove Shane needed some sort of back up, and then he decided to hug the man no more than two minutes later?!

By the time the original members of D-Generation X looked back at them, Shane had backed away and was looking Bret in the eyes.

"Thanks for your concern. I truly appreciate it, but this is seriously something I have to do on my own," Shane walked away, but stopped and turned to face everyone once he got to the door. "Later."

Shawn watched Bret wince when the door slammed shut behind Shane. He was honestly very surprised by Bret's sudden older brother-like actions towards Shane. Sure, Shane used to hang out with Bret and Owen Hart way back when, but Bret slowly distanced himself from Shane by the time he was leaving for WCW... He assumed Bret wanted to fix whatever damage he caused the McMahon family when he left on such terrible terms, which wasn't completely Bret's fault, and for that, Shawn had to respect him. Shawn felt the hatred he had for the man was completely gone after so, so long, which he assumed was thanks to his amnesiac self having decent conversations with the man...

He sincerely hoped Bret's hatred for him was gone, as well.

"I honestly don't understand why he's so damn stubborn sometimes. He's been getting his ass handed to him for the last month or so... Isn't he sick of it by now?" Bret asked.

Paul turned to look at him. "He's proud, Bret. Like his old man. Let's just be thankful Shane isn't as demonic."

"He can be if he wants to." Shawn stated, earning a chuckle from the other two men.

"Truer words have never been spoken, Shawn," Bret stated, turning to face him as he did so. "It would just be nice if he realized he should shut up and accept help when it's offered to him. He's always done the same thing... Smile and kindly reject, then hug you as to say 'thanks for your concern, but it's wasted on me.' Man, if I had a nickel for every single time I saw that and had the urge to bash his damn head in..."

Paul put his hands over his ears. "La la la la la la la! Not listening!"

Bret stopped talking and looked at Paul. Shawn snickered at the completely confused and disgusted look on Bret's face. He wanted to slap himself when Bret looked over at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Ahem... Um... Paul, as you should probably know, is married to Stephanie McMahon... Therefore making him Shane's brother-in-law... He doesn't take kindly to hearing people say such terrible things about his precious little brother-in-law."

Bret stared at Shawn with an 'are you fucking kidding me?' face. "You two do it all the time."

"I don't want to know how you came across that information..." Paul dead-panned.

"We do it out of love for the kid, honestly." Shawn stated.

"Yeah, okay. My left ass..."

"Shhhhhhhhhhhh! The show is starting!" Randy shouted, pointing at the TV.

Bret, Paul and Shawn stopped the debate they were having and turned to look at him.

"I forgot he was in the room." Bret stated, making Paul collapse to the floor with laughter.

* * *

Shane got in the ring and headed straight for a microphone. He knew if he danced around like he usually did, he would lose his grasp of how serious the situation between the Board of Directors and his father actually was. To make matters absolutely worse, he was the one who had to confront his father about said situation live on national television. So no, dancing like a loon would definitely not be appropriate for what was about to happen.

"As anyone who has been following the WWE since my debut as a commentator in 1998 should know, coming out here to handle business matters and be serious is a very rare occurrence... But, when it does happen, I do my damn best to be good at it. For the first time in a long time, the last name 'McMahon' is coming back to haunt me, and the Board of Directors has selected me to be the mouthpiece for them when it comes to being here in the ring and confronting the problem. So... Right now, I'd like to invite my father to join me in the ring. Dad, I would advise you to take me up on my offer immediately. This isn't a joking matter, nor should it be put off for whenever you feel like dealing with it."

Shane waited patiently for Vince to make his presence known. To his surprise, he didn't have to wait long before the older McMahon's music blared over the loud speakers and he stomped his way down to the ring. He got in to face his son, then rudely grabbed the microphone out of Shane's hand and pushed him back a little. The crowed jeered at the movement, whereas Shane glared and moved to get another microphone.

"Shane, Shane, Shane... Why do I suddenly regret ever allowing you to come work for this company?"

Shane scoffed. "Because you're an asshole."

Vince's face twisted in anger. "You'd better watch your damn attitude when it comes to talking to me, you little bastard. It would do you good to remember that I'm the owner of this company. I'm a respectable businessman, and, unfortunately, I'm your father."

"Listen... I know you want to just pounce on me and destroy me for everything that's happened in the passed few months... But... I have a proposition for you. I know you don't want to hear it, especially coming from my mouth... But... If you would just apologize to D-X, Orton and Christian and give them a reason for why you did what you did, you can quite possibly avoid anything the Board of Directors decided on..."

"Apologize? Did you really suggest that I apologize? Shane, you seem to forget that I'm the damn boss around here. What I say goes. If I decide I want to do something, I go ahead and do it. I don't have to answer to anybody."

"Dad, please..."

"Don't you dare patronize me! You're such an ungrateful little bastard! I gave you chance after chance to prove yourself worthy of your last name, and every single damn time, you've disappointed me!"

Vince would have continued shouting at Shane, had the younger McMahon not lowered his microphone and stared at his father with unshed tears in his eyes. Vince stared at him with a confused and awestruck look on his face.

"You seriously need to shut the hell up! I'm trying to save you from what the Board decided! It's a last ditch effort. It really is. They don't know I'm doing this and they probably won't like it, but you're my father and I love you. If you continue thinking the way you are and doing what you're doing, you're going to lose the respect of your family, your peers, your employees, the fans and any businessman and businesswoman across the globe. I'm. Trying. To. Help. You. Why don't you understand that? I know I disappoint you, dad. I do. I've known that for a very long time now. But you have to see passed that and see that I genuinely want to help you, even after everything you've done to me," When it looked like Vince was going to interject, Shane angrily gestured to his face. "Don't you dare say you didn't do anything to me. You know damn well you had your lackeys beat on me to keep me from saying anything to anyone about what you were doing. Do you seriously think I find it fun going to business meetings and have to explain to my business partners why my eyes are glassy or why my face is swollen? You know you hurt me, dad, but you're too proud to admit it... But that's fine. I'm man enough to accept that and go on. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Please stop what you're doing. Accept my help. Please."

Shane knew he was going to sound desperate and extremely emotional. He didn't expect the fans to hear a word he was saying... Damn those super sensitive microphones.

"It would absolutely degrade my name to accept help from you."

The fans jeered.

Shane once again raised the microphone. "In that case, you leave me with absolutely no choice," Shane paused to take a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfold it. "Dear Shane McMahon... As you and some other members of the World Wrestling Entertainment are aware, there has been an ongoing investigation of the actions of your father, Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon, and his violations of the safety and well-being of his employees. It was brought to our attention that Mr. McMahon has knowingly put Shawn Michaels, who suffered a severe concussion at Unforgiven and was diagnosed with amnesia immediately after, in dangerous situations that can either make his condition worse or kill him. It has also been brought to our attention that Tyson Tomko, Dave Batista and Ric Flair continuously attack Michaels and his tag team partner, Triple H, in favor of your father. As if that wasn't enough, Mr. McMahon terminated the contracts of Randy Orton and Christian without valid reasoning for doing so. While we, the Board of Directors, usually don't get involved when the Chairman of the World Wrestling Entertainment decides on such an act, the intervention of the C.E.O., Linda McMahon, yourself, and your sister, Stephanie McMahon, provoked an investigation into Mr. McMahon's recent actions. After several weeks of reviewing months of evidence, it is with great sadness that we contact you to inform you that, as of tonight, Vincent Kennedy McMahon is no longer the Chairman of the World Wrestling Entertainment. He is to be relieved of his position from the business and is ordered to surrender all of his personal stocks immediately, as well as ejected from the arena and banned until further notice. The Board of Directors saw fit to promote Linda McMahon to be the Chairwoman of the World Wrestling Entertainment, and is pleased to announce that you, Shane McMahon, will be promoted to C.E.O., as you are the oldest child. Thank you for your cooperation. Signed, the Board of Directors."

When he was done reading the letter, Shane looked up and was so damn happy Raw was televised... He would have paid _so_ much money to see that look on his father's face.

"Wh-what?! They can't do that! The Board of Directors can't do that to me! I'm Vincent Kennedy McMahon, dammit! I built this company up from nothing! I gave them their jobs! They can't fire me!"

"You're right. They can't," Shane smirked when he saw the look of relief flash on Vince's features. "But I can."

The fans cheered, especially when they noticed Vince paled a little.

"What?! Shane, you wouldn't..."

"I tried to help you, dad. I really did. You refused my help."

"Shane..."

"Vince McMahon," Shane paused to acknowledge the look Vince was giving him. "You're fired!"

"You ungrateful little bastard!" Vince went to dive for Shane, but the younger man easily side-stepped him, sending Vince face-first onto the mat.

Security made their presence known, hauled Vince to his feet and technically dragged him up the ramp and out of the arena. Shane stood in the ring, admiring the chants from the fans, when he turned around and noticed Tyson Tomko, Ric Flair and Dave Batista were standing in the ring with him.

"You do know that striking the C.E.O. of this company is a quick ticket to collect unemployment benefits, right?"

Vince's henchmen glanced at one another, trying to test the legitimacy of Shane's words.

"Prove it." Tomko growled.

Shane smirked. "You have to hit me to find out... But, if I were you three... Which, of course, I wouldn't want to be right now, I'd think twice about hitting me. The Board of Directors won't take kindly to it, especially since they just fired my dad and banned him from this company. Do you guys want the same thing happening to you?"

Ric and Dave shook their heads no, raised their hands in defeat and left the ring. Shane watched them go, then turned to look at Tyson Tomko, who had taken several steps closer to Shane and was glaring at him with all of the hatred he could muster.

"You're gonna pay for this, McMahon."

Shane nodded his head. "I know. But right now you can get the hell out of this ring so the show can start," When Tomko didn't budge, Shane sighed. "Or, I could always have security come down here and eject you from the arena so fast your damn head will spin. It's your call."

Tomko leaned forward so his head was pressing against Shane's and growled in his face.

"Bastard." He grumbled.

"Dude... Breath. Mint."

Tomko seethed, but backed away from Shane, hopped out of the ring and made his way backstage. "You'll pay, McMahon."

* * *

"Holy."

"Motherfucking."

"Shit."

"Okay, that was weird. You three just made a sentence." Randy observed, looking over at Shawn, Bret and Paul.

The three men in question looked at one another and shrugged their shoulders, not even caring.

"It's expected, really. We've been in this business for a really long time... Don't get me wrong, Randy, I know you were literally born into it, but... We've been working for the WWE for ages. I'm just in so much shock that that just happened... It makes complete sense as to why Shane said he had to make the announcement on his own." Bret stated.

Randy and Jay turned to look at one another, then shrugged their shoulders and looked back at Shawn, Bret and Paul, who were still staring completely awestruck at the TV, even though Shane had already re-entered the locker room and was looking around at them in amusement.

"You'd think Jerry Lawler was just elected President." Shane commented, making everyone turn to look at him.

"I don't have to call you 'Mr. McMahon' now, do I?" Shawn asked.

"Why would you do that?"

"Dude, didn't you read the letter you read? You're the new C.E.O.!" Randy shouted.

Shane shuddered. "Shit. I'm the new C.E.O."

Shawn rolled his eyes. "So, I reiterate... Do I have to call you 'Mr. McMahon?'"

"Ech, that just sounds weird. No, I'm still... Shane... Oh, no. I'm gonna have to tell everyone not to call me 'Mr. McMahon.'" Shane whined, making Paul pat him on the back.

"Oooosa, Shane. Oosa. The question is... What next?"

"Your plan was totally shot to hell." Joanie stated.

Paul pouted. "I know. It sucks."

It was Shane's turn to pat Paul on the shoulder. "It's alright, Paul... Right now we have to figure out what we're gonna do for the rest of the night..."

* * *

**A/N: Hello, all! Here's another update for _Like Old Times_. As I mentioned in a previous author's note, the story is nearing it's end... As you could probably tell from the content of this chapter. **

**Oh, speaking of the content of this chapter... I wanted to let you guys in on a little secret... Kind of. You know how everyone has a filter in their mind? Well, mine failed me during the early hours of the day while I was writing this chapter. You know when Shane is going out to the ring, he usually does some form of the Shane O Shuffle, unless it's super serious and he just walks down to the ring..? Well... When Shane was going to the ring in this chapter, I originally wrote: _Shane got in the ring and danced around as elegantly as a cow in a tutu. - _****I have no idea what inspired me to write that, but I found it absolutely hilarious. I wasn't sleep deprived, nor was I drunk or tired. It literally just happened. I'm an asshole for allowing such a thing to slip through my mind filter. I snorted when I typed it and laughed like a lunatic for a few moments and only decided to question my writer's instinct when the clock read 2 AM. I don't understand why I wrote it. As much as I would have loved to keep the line in the fic, I felt a responsibility as a somewhat respectable author to remove it and preserve the fact that I can legitimately write Shane McMahon and respect his actions when the tone calls for a difference in his behavior... He's supposed to be intimidating at the point I just so happened to write that, not a lackey that I can mock whenever I choose... XD**

**...Yeah... Anyway...**

**Maybe three or four more chapters after this one. Not totally sure just yet, it depends on the feedback and if anyone has an awesome idea I can use (or I come up with something, of course). **


	23. Down

Like Old Times  
11/29/04

"I just remembered something."

Paul, Randy and Shawn turned to look at Shane in slight confusion. The young McMahon and brand new Chief Executive Officer of the World Wrestling Entertainment had been absolutely silent for twenty minutes; sitting on the floor and staring at the wall like it had the answers to all of his problems.

"What's up, kid?" Paul asked once he noticed the fact that Shane finally saying something actually created another awkward silence.

Shane turned to look at the three men sitting in the room with him and slightly jumped back. "Why are the three of you staring at me like that?"

Shawn and Randy looked at one another, then back over at Shane.

"Sorry." Shawn mumbled, looking away immediately.

"It's... Okay. Um... Right. I think I left something in the rental."

Paul and Shawn exchanged an odd glance, then shrugged their shoulders.

"Want some company?" Randy asked.

"Um... No. No, thanks. I'm... Yeah, I'm good."

"You sure?" Paul asked.

Shane nodded his head, stood up and left the room without another word.

"If he ain't acting funny, I'm Harrison Ford."

Paul looked at Shawn and nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, I get what you're saying. I guess it goes hand in hand with having to fire your dad on national television."

"And finding out about his impromptu promotion probably didn't help. I mean where the hell did that come from? I can guarantee there are dozens of other people working for the Board that could've easily taken over as the C.E.O." Randy stated.

"Yeah, but nobody is more qualified than Shane. He's been in the business since he was born... Besides, they probably wanted to keep it with the stockholders."

"You mean the McMahons?"

Paul shrugged. "Yeah, something like that."

"Personally, I think he's way too young to have that much power in a company."

"I agree, Randy. But... Cut him some slack. He'll be fine."

Randy shrugged his shoulders and sat back down on the floor, staring at the TV with uninterested eyes. He wasn't booked for the show, which was completely fine with him, but _at least_ have decent matches booked.

When Paul turned around to look for Shawn, he found the man standing in the corner of the room, watching the TV over Randy's shoulder. Paul walked over to him and nudged his shoulder.

"You know, you could go and sit on the floor to watch TV. I'm sure Randy wouldn't mind..."

"It's not the TV, Paul. It's Randy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... He's right."

"About?"

"Shane. The kid has too much power in his hands and too much weight on his shoulders. He's gonna go crazy."

Paul shifted his weight from leg to leg and fixed Shawn with a cold glare. "I'm gonna tell you exactly what I told Randy. Back off. Cut Shane some slack. He'll be fine. He's been in this business for thirty-four years. He'll catch on, he'll be okay and he'll be the best C.E.O. the WWE has ever had."

Shawn raised an eyebrow, then shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not trying to argue with you, Paul. I'm just saying. It's too much too soon."

"I agree that it's too much, Shawn. But... Listen, I love him as much as you do. Things are going to be okay."

"I'm not saying they won't, and our love for him has nothing to do with this. We just have to be careful. Like... Really careful. There are some people back here who aren't exactly happy with Vince's departure from the company. And they're gonna look for an opening to seek revenge."

The lightbulb in Paul's mind went off.

"So you're saying we should have followed Shane anyway?"

Randy turned to look at the two members of D-Generation X.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Paul." Shawn replied.

Paul sighed and looked down at Randy, who raised a confused eyebrow.

"What?" Randy asked.

"Nothing, kid. Don't worry about it right now," Paul stated, then turned to face Shawn again. "What do you want to do?"

Shawn shrugged. "I mean, the only thing we can do for now is wait til he gets back, then have a chat with him."

"You sure that'll work?"

"What? Did becoming the C.E.O. make him into some mutant? He's still Shane, ya know. It'll be fine."

Randy chuckled. "Shane has always been the mutant of the McMahon family."

Shawn and Paul glanced at one another. Paul shrugged his shoulders in realization that Randy was most likely right; Shane had always seemed like the oddball of the bunch.

"He's not wrong." Paul offered.

Shawn threw his arms in the air in disgust. "Whatever! He's still the same person we know!"

"Except for the fact that it's taking him an awfully long time to come back from the parking lot,"

Paul, Randy and Shawn turned around and saw Bret standing behind them with Joanie at his side. Bret was tapping his watch.

"Unless this stupid thing is fast. What time do you guys have?"

"Five after." Paul and Shawn simultaneously replied.

"A quarter to." Randy stated.

Four sets of eyes turned to glare at Randy, who looked up at them innocently.

"Jackass." Bret grumbled.

"Yeah, that can't be right..."

The group watched as Randy slid his watch off of his wrist and adjusted the time. Bret looked at Shawn and Paul and sighed.

"Shane's been gone for about fifteen minutes now. What's the plan?"

"Maybe the kid needed to clear his head?" Paul asked.

"He's been gone for too long." Bret argued.

"But..."

"TOO. LONG!"

Shawn and Paul took a step away from Bret and turned to look at one another.

"He has a point." Shawn whispered.

"Oh hell no. Don't take his side."

"You and I both know it's not safe for him out there. We were just talking about this."

"Um... Whose phone is on the coffee table?" Joanie asked.

"That would be mine." Shawn replied.

Joanie quickly passed the vibrating cell phone over to Shawn, who took a quick glance at the caller ID and answered the phone.

"Michaels? It's Glenn Jacobs."

"Yeah, I can see that... What's up?"

"Listen, you and Paul had better get out to the parking lot as fast as you can."

Shawn's face dropped, then the color drained from his face. Paul, Randy, Bret and Joanie looked at him with nervous looks on their faces.

"What happened?"

"Somebody tried to kill the new C.E.O."

"What!?" Shawn shouted.

"You heard me, Shawn. Get out here right now. I'll explain when you get here. Hurry."

Shawn hung up the phone and pocketed it, then turned to acknowledge Paul. "That was Jacobs. We have to go to the parking lot right now."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Someone tried to..."

Paul's expression changed to one of concern when he noticed Shawn couldn't get the words out. "Alright. You three stay here. Please," Bret nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Come on, Shawn,"

Shawn and Paul left the room and started making their way to the parking lot.

"Did Jacobs say what happened?" Paul asked after several moments of unbearable silence.

"No."

"Did he say how bad it is?"

"No."

"Figures. Just the usual 'get out here right now and I'll explain when I see you' type of thing?"

"Yeah."

"Okay..," Paul stopped walking just as the members of D-X reached the door to the parking lot. "Listen. Expect worse case scenario right now, okay? Just... Clear your head a bit and remember that if it was really bad, Glenn would've called an ambulance instead of calling you."

"Okay."

Paul sighed, then pushed the door to the parking lot open.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, all! First update of the new year. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season. I apologize for my lack of updates. I've been busy since the last week of November. **

**Anywho, this isn't the last chapter of LOT. Do you think I'm mean enough to leave it off like this..? I'm thinking maybe three or four more chapters can do it for this one, and then I can move on to bigger things. If anyone has any suggestions for something they want to see happen, send a message my way and I'll let you know if I'll include it in a future chapter.**

**And, of course, I'm always taking fic requests. **

**Til next time. :D**


	24. Little Lion Man

Like Old Times  
11/29/04

Paul sighed, then pushed the door to the parking lot open. Even from their spot, which was right in front of the door leading into the arena, the view wasn't a pretty one, nor was it inviting.

"Oh my God."

To say Paul stumbled back so far from the sight in front of them that he tripped over Shawn and almost hit the wall was a complete understatement.

The noise the members of D-Generation X, namely Paul, were making caught Glenn's attention, because the man turned to look at them.

"Can you two get over here, please? I need a hand!" Glenn shouted.

Shawn and Paul pressed forward, walking away from the door and over to where Glenn was kneeling over an extremely unconscious and profusely bleeding Shane McMahon.

"Shit." Paul mumbled, stopping in front of Glenn and allowing the sight of his unconscious brother-in-law to settle.

"You're telling me. Imagine walking towards the door to the arena and seeing this." Glenn replied, rubbing his neck uncomfortably.

"Did you happen to catch who did this to him?" Paul asked.

"Who else but that asshat Tyson Tomko?" Glenn asked, fixing Paul with a cold glare.

"Told you we should've followed him." Shawn stated, surprising Paul by speaking more than a word at a time.

"Yeah, I know. We have bigger fish to fry right now, Shawny. How long ago did you come across this, Glenn?" Paul questioned.

"A few minutes ago. I called you as soon as I got him out of the car."

Paul and Shawn turned to look at one another with confused looks on their faces.

"'Car?' What car?"

"That one," Glenn replied, pointing at the car parked not too far away. "I think it's his rental, but I can't be sure."

"Yeah, that's his," Paul sighed. "Now what did you mean when you said you had to get him out of the car?"

"Windshield is broken, so I guess Tomko threw him through it."

"Christ... Well, I guess that explains all the blood... Alright, we have to drag his half dead ass back to the D-X locker room. We'll handle things from there." Paul stated.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call an ambulance..? I mean... He's pretty banged up."

Paul rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I'm absolutely positive. No ambulance. We don't need to call too much attention to this incident... Don't need Tomko or any of Vince's other bitches to come around looking to finish the kid off... It's bad for business." Paul stated.

"Keep in mind that this _is_ your brother-in-law we're talking about." Shawn retorted, glaring at Paul.

"I know. Calm yourself, Shawn."

Glenn sighed. "Alright... Can we get moving, please? I don't like sitting out here during such difficult times on the business side of this company..."

"Right. Are you picking him up, Glenn?"

"I guess."

"Good. Hurry up and grab him. Shawn, get the door. Let's get back to where we know is safe."

Shawn sighed and rolled his eyes, but bit his cheek to prevent himself from speaking. The last thing he wanted to do was say something that would piss Paul off. He made his way over to the door to the arena, completely lost in his own thoughts. Once he noticed Glenn was fast approaching, he opened the door and side-stepped out of the bigger man's way.

"Which way is your locker-room?" Glenn asked.

"That way." Paul replied, gesturing down the hall.

Shawn watched as Glenn stopped walking to allow Paul the opportunity to cut in front of him and lead the way. Shawn found it interesting and very out of character for Glenn, but figured the bigger man only wanted to help in any way possible. Everyone knew Paul was terrible at giving directions, so allowing him to lead the way was the quickest and safest bet.

Paul kicked open the door to the D-X locker-room, successfully scaring the hell out of Randy, Bret and Joanie. The look of shock quickly turned to pure terror as they watched Paul usher Glenn into the room. Glenn knelt down and laid Shane on the floor as carefully as he could before standing up straight again and turning to look at Paul.

"Alright. I'm out. Good luck with this."

Paul nodded. "Thanks, Glenn. See ya."

Glenn left the room without another word, allowing Shawn to close and lock the door behind him.

"Okay... Since everyone else seems to be speechless... I'm going to say it. What the hell happened to Shane?!" Bret shouted.

"Jacobs said Tomko tossed him through the windshield of his rental car. Don't ask why." Paul replied.

"I'll tell you why," Everyone in the room was caught completely off guard by the harsh tone in Shawn's voice. "It's because of what happened tonight. What the Board of Directors decided on. I told you Vin Man's lackeys weren't going to like it. Tomko, especially. I told you we had to be on high alert with this damn kid. He has a target on his back, and if we're not careful, he's gonna get himself dead."

Paul sighed. "Alright. You were right. Is that what you want to hear? I think we have more important things to handle right now, Shawny. First, We have to get Linda down here. Second, we have to alert the Board. Third, and most importantly, we have to stop the bleeding and see if there's any other damage." Paul stated.

Shawn nodded. "Alright. You call Linda and tell her. I think she should call the Board. I mean... She _is_ the boss now... It'll sound a lot more urgent coming from her... Randy... Run down the hall to the medical room and get as many towels as you can."

"You got it, Shawn." Randy said, then bolted from the room.

Paul rolled his eyes, but took his phone out of his pocket and walked to the corner of the locker-room to make the call to his mother-in-law. By the time Linda picked up, Randy ran back into the room with a stack of towels.

"Mark was asking questions. I told him we were messing around and wrecked the place. He didn't seem convinced, but he didn't say anything else. Don't be surprised if he stops by in a bit." Randy stated, handing the towels over to Shawn, who knelt down next to Shane.

Paul watched the older man with interest while trying to tell Linda what happened to Shane. "I don't know, mom. I'm telling you everything I know. Glenn Jacobs was there. But Shawn thinks it was... Yeah. Because of the Board. You _what_? Okay. I'll send Randy to get you. See you soon. Bye." Paul sighed and put his phone back into his pocket. He turned to look at Shawn and was somewhat surprised to see Bret kneeling next to him, helping in any way possible.

"I need another towel." Bret stated, holding his hand out.

Randy gave him a towel. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he should be." Bret replied.

"How'd things go on the phone with Linda?" Joanie asked.

"She's on her way over here. Can you go meet her in the parking lot, Randy?" Paul questioned.

"Alone?" Randy asked, giving Paul a puppy dog look.

Paul glared. "You can take Joanie with you."

Randy groaned in mild annoyance, but nodded. "Okay. Care to join me, Joanie?"

"Sure. Let's go."

Paul watched as they left the room, then returned his attention to Shawn. "Need any help?"

Shawn shook his head. "I think we're good, thanks. It's not that bad now that the majority of the blood has been cleaned up." Shawn replied.

"Any glass?"

"Not that I can see."

Shawn jumped back when Shane groaned and moved his head.

"You're a bit jumpy." Bret stated, chuckling at Shawn's expense.

Shawn glared at Bret, but chose not to say anything. He didn't feel like starting a fight with him, especially since they seemed to be friends now. He leaned closer to Shane. "Shane? Can you hear me?"

Another groan, but this time, Shane opened his eyes to look at Shawn. "Sadly, yes."

Shawn smiled and patted Shane's shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. How do you feel?"

"Terrible."

Shawn exchanged a look with Paul. When Shane admitted to feeling bad, they knew it was bad.

"Think you can get up?" Paul asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because my back is killing me." Shane replied, glaring lazily at his brother-in-law.

Paul sighed. "Okay, then. Care to tell us what happened?"

Shane rolled his eyes and winced in pain. "No."

Bret turned to look at Shawn and Paul. "You guys have been dealing with this for awhile now, haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"About how long?"

"I think Tomko started his shit a day after Unforgiven. It was either the day after or a week after, I forget. But he's been attacking us since then." Paul replied.

"And how long has he been attacking Shane?"

"Since the kid started standing up to his old man." Shawn stated.

Bret sighed. "I wish something else could be done about this."

"Me too. But right now we have to focus on getting Mr. Lazy Bones up and about."

Shane groaned. "And why is that?"

"Your mom will be here soon. If I were you, I'd man up and get up so we can get you proper. We don't need your mom flipping shit on us." Bret stated.

Shane opened his eyes again and looked at Paul. "You _called_ my _mom_?!"

"I didn't know what else to do! You're over here getting attacked by your own employees and your mom was in the area, anyway..."

Shane would have slammed his head on the floor if he wasn't in so much pain, that much was obvious to everyone in the room. Paul could tell solely by the look on his face that he wasn't happy with the situation, and the last thing he wanted was for Shane to hit his head in anger. Paul looked at Shawn, eyes begging for him to help, and was rewarded by Shawn nodding his head in acknowledgement.

"Ya know, Shane... Calling your mom down here was the wisest thing we could have done. I mean, she _is_ the new boss around here, and her presence will make a difference when it comes to your dads lackeys thinking they can have their way with you just because your dad isn't around anymore. You guys have to work together to show the employees that you mean business and anyone who challenges you will be punished."

"I guess you're right." Shane winced again as he tried moving, making Shawn raise a concerned eyebrow.

"I'm gonna need you to lay on your stomach... I wanna take a look at your back."

Shane's eyes widened in fear. "Please don't make me move."

"I happen to know a thing or two about back injuries... And I need to take a look at your back in order to make sure you're okay."

Shane sighed. "No."

"Please? There's three of us here and it'll take us less than three seconds to move you, I promise."

Shane glared at the older man. "Can I punch you in the face for every extra second?"

Shawn smiled, but shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. I need to make money."

"Hurry up before I change my mind."

Bret, Paul and Shawn quickly helped Shane roll onto his stomach. To the younger mans credit, he never once let anyone know how much pain he was in, but Shawn knew the blood coming from his lip wasn't from Tomko's attack.

Once the younger man was settled on his stomach, Shawn rolled his shirt up to take a look at his back. A quick glance at Paul told him it wasn't pretty, and taking a look at the back of Shane's head told him the younger man was damn near ready to knock himself unconscious.

"I have to run my hand down your spine." Shawn stated.

He watched as Shane tensed.

"That sounds dirty." Shane retorted.

Leave it to Bret to laugh.

"You're right. Sorry. I have to check for damage... Felt like I should warn you. Why don't you keep your eyes on Paul?"

"Because he's hideous."

Shawn scoffed, whereas Paul face-palmed.

"At least you still have your sense of humor."

Shawn returned his sight to Shane's back, which was covered in bruises, so he looked over at Bret. "Can you go grab some ice, please?"

"Sure." Bret left the room without another word.

"That bad?" Paul asked, leaning over so he could take a look.

Shawn sighed and looked down at Shane's back again. "Bad enough..," As soon as he put a hand on Shane's back, the younger man groaned and headbutted the floor. "Please don't do that!"

"Sorry."

Paul sat back down and tried to look Shane in the eyes. "You shouldn't piss people off, you know."

"I didn't do anything," Shane shouted. When he noticed Paul and Shawn weren't saying anything, he slowly propped himself up on his elbows so he could look at least one of them in the eyes. "You wanna know what I did?! I went out there to get what I forgot, just like I said. On my way back, Tomko grabbed me from behind and... Well, you saw."

"Were you still conscious when you hit the windshield?"

"Yeah. Only blacked out when I heard Glenn."

Paul sighed and looked at Shawn, who shrugged his shoulders. "So you weren't out for long."

"Not at all."

Bret walked back in with the ice and knelt down next to Shawn, who had just finished rolling Shane's shirt down. "Mark is getting suspicious."

"Tell him to kiss my ass." Shane mumbled.

Shawn dropped an ice pack on Shane's back, making the younger man hiss in pain.

"Be nice." Shawn warned.

Shane rolled his eyes and mumbled some choice words, which Paul only caught a few syllables of.

"How's he doing?" Bret asked, even though it was slightly obvious everything was okay.

"He'll be fine. No damage, really. Just a lot of bruising, hence the ice."

By the time Shawn finished talking, Randy nearly kicked the door off the hinges and held it open for Linda and Joanie, then slammed it shut, locked it and sat down on the floor next to Paul.

"Shane!" Linda shouted, storming over to her son and hugging him as tightly as she could.

"Hi mom."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, mom. I'm fine."

"You don't seem okay," Linda paused to pull away from him and started petting his head, ignoring the fact his cheeks were turning red in embarrassment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, mom. Please stop touching me, I have blood in my hair."

Linda nodded and planted a kiss on Shane's forehead. She stood up and walked over to Paul. "What do you make of it?"

"Revenge." Paul replied.

"Why revenge?" Linda asked.

"Well... Mostly because Vince was fired tonight. Tomko has been one of his top lackeys since about October... I think he'll be looking to knock Shane around as much as he can."

"That's not going to happen..."

Paul and Linda turned to look at Shane again. "Oh?"

Shane nodded. "The thing in my car..? Contract termination papers, suspension slips... I received two letters from the Board earlier... One that I had to read in the ring, and the other was a letter stating that I had to fire Tomko."

"Does he know?" Randy asked.

"Probably."

"How about Flair and Batista?" Paul questioned.

"I have to suspend them for thirty days... Jay's name was also on the suspension list, but I contacted the Board and argued his case. They lifted the suspension, which was good... But told me I had to suspend Joanie."

Everyone in the room took a quick glance at Joanie, who didn't look too happy but didn't argue, either.

"For how long?" She asked.

"Well... Know that I tried to argue your case, as well. But the Board said they wanted you suspended for accepting extra money from my dad. They said I can decide how long your suspension is going to be for... And you know I won't suspend you for thirty days..."

"Should I leave now?"

"Probably. I'll call you."

Joanie nodded, grabbed her bag and left.

"Alright. What's next for us?" Paul asked.

"I think we should get out of here." Shane replied.

"The show isn't over yet, Shane." Linda stated, sending a stern look at her son.

Shane looked his mother in the eyes. "I don't care. I'm not playing the role of rag doll any more tonight," Shane turned his attention to Shawn. "Would you mind helping me up?"

"Not at all." Shawn made eye contact with Paul, who got the hint and joined him. They reached down, grabbed a hold of Shane and hoisted him up.

"You alright?" Paul asked.

"Yep." Shane replied, making D-X let go of him.

"You sure?"

Shane turned to look at Paul. "As your C.E.O., I demand you stop asking me stupid ass questions."

Paul scoffed and raised his hands in defeat.

"What's in the future for you?" Bret asked.

Shane shrugged. "Whatever the Board tells me," He paused for a moment and turned to look at Bret. "I've been thinking... Would you like to be the new commissioner?"

* * *

**A/N: Hiya guys. Sorry for the longish wait between updates. **

**Nearing the end, I'm afraid. Can't really think of anything else to have happen in this fic. Maybe one or two more chapters... If I can think of something, that is. **

**Feel free to send some suggestions my way. Or if you want to request a fic, you're more than welcome to do that. **

**Happy reading!**


	25. Risky Business

Like Old Times  
12/2/04

"What should we do about Flair and Batista?"

Shane sighed, put his pen on the table and started massaging his temples. Trying to get the World Wrestling Entertainment back in good shape after months of abuse was giving him a grade-a migraine. He and the others - Linda, Shawn, Paul, Bret and Stephanie - had been sitting in the same position for nearly six hours now.

"Ugh, I don't know." Shane finally grumbled.

Linda turned to look at her son. "You have to give an opinion."

"Do not."

"You're the new Chief Executive Officer, Shane. Take the position seriously."

"I am taking it seriously, mom. I just don't want to be the one who decides on what happens to them."

Linda sighed. "Fine. Anyone else have input?"

"I recommend suspension without pay." Paul stated.

"I second that."

"Bret? What do you think?"

"Indefinite suspension without pay. Wait thirty days and decide where you want to go from there."

"Oooooooooh," Shawn leaned over to request a high five from Bret, which he received. "I like that idea!"

"You would." Paul glared.

Shawn stuck his tongue out at Paul, then looked at Linda. "So?"

"We'll go with Bret's idea," Linda paused to write something down, then looked up again. "What about Tomko?"

"The Board decided to fire him," Shane replied, twirling his pen in his hand. "Remember?"

"Oh yeah... Sorry... So much to do," Linda paused again to shuffle through papers. "Okay... Now... About Joanie..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm afraid the Board doesn't want her back."

"I'm hiring her back." Shane stated.

"You can't do that!" Stephanie shouted.

"I can and I will. I promised her I'd hire her back and I'm going to do just that. If I can get Orton and Reso out of trouble with the Board, I can convince them to let me bring Joanie back."

"If you think that's best, Shane."

"I do."

"Then go for it," Linda paused, then picked up a stack of papers and shoved them closer to Bret. "For your contract, Mr. Hart. Please read everything carefully... Sign, initial and date where it asks you to."

"You got it." Bret leaned forward and took the papers, then snatched the pen out of Shane's hand and went to work.

"I was using that." Shane whined.

"Bullshit." Bret growled, stretching his arm so Shane couldn't reach the pen.

"Shane," The man in question jumped at Linda's tone. "Be serious!"

"Sorry."

"Now... What's D-X gonna do? I mean... We were only supposed to be around until Shawn got better and he's obviously okay now, so..."

"The Board is extremely upset with you for keeping that from us." Linda glared.

"We were so close, mom... They couldn't tell the truth... Besides, it was only a week..."

Linda turned to look at Shane. "You knew?"

"Yes."

"I oughta have your head for that, Shane!"

"Mom, if the Board knew Shawn got better, they would've dropped the investigation... You know that as well as I do."

Linda groaned. "Whose idea was it?"

"Mine." Shane stated.

"Fine, the Board won't know you were behind it."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Paul cleared his throat. "So, um... Yeah... D-X?"

"That's up to the two of you, Paul."

Paul looked over at Shawn. "What do you think, man?"

"I don't know..."

"Personally, I'd like to see you two assbutts stay as D-X for awhile." Bret commented.

Paul and Shawn looked at one another.

"Assbutts..?"

"Don't judge me."

"Not judging anyone, Bret... Just... Okay, nevermind... Yeah, I guess we'll stay on as D-X for awhile. Maybe we can get the tag titles?" Paul asked.

Linda gestured to Bret. "Ask your new commissioner."

"Ugh," Paul groaned and rolled his eyes. "Later."

"Is there anyone else on the Raw roster that should be reviewed?" Linda asked, looking around at everyone.

"Nobody else seemed hostile towards D-X... I mean... No one other than Tomko..."

"What about Jacobs?"

"Mom, he was just going by the script."

"But I didn't write that in." Stephanie stated, making everyone turn to look at her.

"What?" Shane asked, eyes wide.

"I didn't write that into the match. The steel stairs were never involved in my draft."

"That must mean Vince wrote it in on his own." Paul commented.

"Sherlock frickin' Holmes over here." Bret mumbled.

"I heard that!"

"What?"

"Gentlemen!" Linda shouted, once again gaining everyone's attention.

"Sorry." Paul stated.

"So... You never wrote that in... Lovely. This was all a plan from the beginning."

"I highly doubt Vince knew I was gonna get amnesia, Mrs. McMahon... He was probably just hoping I'd retire."

"That's exactly what worries me, Shawn... What matters now is that he's gone and anyone who was closely associated with him during the last several months of his control over the company has been removed or is under review... I think it's safe to say things are going to go along just fine."

"I agree. Nothing can get in the middle of us." Stephanie stated, smiling kindly at her mother.

"We still have other problems." Shane commented.

"Like?" Paul asked.

"I don't know. There's always problems."

"Way to be a Donny downer, Shane."

"Sorry. But I'm being honest. There's always someone who's up to something or someone who isn't happy. You get my drift. There has to be something we missed... This clean up was too easy."

"Too easy..? You got tossed through the windshield of your own rental car trying to fire 'too easy!'" Paul shouted.

"Tomko was definitely not 'too easy' to deal with!"

"Then what about this whole situation was 'too easy,' Shane? Tomko? Flair? Batista? Your dad?"

"This. The whole sitting down and mentioning people. Isn't there someone else we should be bringing to attention?"

"What do you mean by that?" Shawn asked.

Shane turned to look at his sister. "You have anything to add, Steph?"

"No. Why would I?"

Shane once again massaged his temples. "Because I hand delivered your draft of the Unforgiven script to dad. The tombstone onto the steel steps was in there."

Linda, Paul, Shawn and Bret all turned to look at Stephanie in shock.

"Is that true?" Linda asked.

Stephanie looked at everyone and lowered her eyes to the table. "Yes. Dad wanted someone to back him on the whole thing... I've been slipping things into the script... But I didn't know about Tomko, Batista and Flair attacking D-X. Honest! Would I really set up my own husband and his best friend like that?"

Linda stood up and leaned over the table towards Stephanie. "You did enough by scripting things. Get up and get out. We'll discuss this much later," Everyone watched as Stephanie huffed in annoyance and left. Linda sat back down and turned to look at Shane. "I don't want to know how you figured that out."

"I just think it's kind of funny dad didn't think to get anyone other than me to do his bidding on the business side of things... Then I thought Stephanie would've been his best choice since she has complete control of the creative department... And then I thought... It's funny how she wasn't around backstage a lot ever since things really hit the fan..."

"You're a genius." Bret stated.

"Ah, please. Don't flatter me."

"No, seriously. That was great thinking."

"I can't believe my wife was literally the elephant in the room." Paul stated, lowering his head to the table.

Shawn patted his back. "There, there... I'm sure she'll be forgiven soon enough."

"Speaking of which... We need to start deciding on what to do with the show... Matches and feuds... Shane, pick someone from the creative department to take control for the next few weeks. Take Paul and Shawn with you to discuss who should feud with who, who gets a push, who gets put on the back burner, etc. Get going!"

Shane grumbled. "It's gonna be a long fuckin' night."


	26. Scene Change

Like Old Times  
Chapter 26

Six months, two feuds and nineteen weeks as WWE tag team champions later, Paul had to admit, he was having the best year of his career... Sans the whole Vince trying to ruin the lives of the people closest to him... Particularly Shawn.

And Paul didn't take kindly to people who messed with Shawn.

It took six months, but Paul was finally at peace with himself when it came to everything that happened during the previous year. Linda was a wonderful chairwoman, Shane was a phenomenal C.E.O., Bret was a huge help both on television and behind the scenes, and, thankfully, Stephanie was forgiven and working hard to make up for her months of doing her fathers bidding when it came to the Creative Department.

Everyone was working hard in their new positions in the company... Even Paul and Shawn were twice as busy as they usually were. Linda had them working closely with her, Shane and Bret since things started changing six months ago. Paul didn't mind it, especially since Linda was his mother-in-law, but he felt like he needed a nap about 86% of the time.

However, after six months of things running the way they were, the World Wrestling Entertainment was operating better than it had in years, and Paul decided the lack of sleep was completely worth it.

His thoughts were interrupted by Shawn and Shane entering the room. Both men looked better than Paul had ever seen them - and Shawn's hair was eerily short, as both members of D-X had to cut their hair to look more professional on the corporate side of things. Shane, on the other hand, now sported a crew cut and had lost weight since assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer. Paul had to admit he was impressed with the slightly younger man, especially when he just so happened to beat Randy, Paul and Shawn in a race around the arena.

"Zoning out again?" Shawn asked, slapping Paul on the back.

"Nah." Paul replied, although it wasn't convincing.

"If you say so," Shawn started, then sighed. "What's on the agenda for tonight?" He asked, making Paul raise a confused eyebrow.

"Raw..? Please tell me you aren't going senile..." Shane stated.

Right. Today's Monday.

"Not at all! Time flies when you barely sleep." Paul replied.

Shane scoffed. "Please. I've been awake since Saturday morning."

"And what the hell have you been doing?" Shawn asked.

"Business stuff... I'm still the Vice President of Global Media, you know."

"Sweet Jesus." Paul stated.

D-X watched as Shane pulled the script for the show out of nowhere. "Now," He stated, then started skimming through the pages. "Um... You guys are competing against Jacobs and Copeland."

"That's the weirdest tag team ever." Paul commented.

"Yeah, well, a lot of people thought the same way when creative first put the two of you together..." Shane retorted.

"Touché."

The room went silent for a moment, allowing Bret Hart the opportunity to make a ridiculously overdramatic entrance, complete with the door slamming against the wall. "Guys. You would not believe what just happened."

"Hey. These two got haircuts. Try me." Shane replied, making Bret snicker as the members of D-X glared at Shane.

"Asshole." Paul mumbled.

"Seriously, though. It was so funny... Some security guard tripped over his own foot and fell on his face in front of like twenty people, including Tom, the head of security. He literally stared at him and asked him if he had a nice trip, so the guard said no, it was terrible and Tom said 'so is your face' and walked away without another word. It was hilarious!"

Shane snorted in amusement, Paul cracked a smile and chuckled, whereas Shawn burst into hysterics.

"Good God, I remember when we used to be the source of the comedy genius..."

"Things change," Bret stated with a sigh. "So how's everyone today?"

"Dandy." Paul replied.

"Can't complain." Shane responded.

"Peachy. How're you, Bret?" Shawn asked.

"Great, thanks. Has anyone ever told you you're like an overexcited puppy?"

"Yes, actually." Shawn replied with a quirked eyebrow.

"Good. It suits you."

"Hah!" Paul shouted.

The room went silent once again, this time the silence was broken by Shane's cellphone.

"Sweet mother of," Shane shouted, then looked down at his phone. "Oh, it actually _is _my mother," He answered the phone, ignoring the chuckles from D-X, and put the phone on speaker. "Hiya, mom. What's up?"

"Get to the security office now."

"Not even a please?"

"Shane Brandon!"

"Alright, fine. Jeez, mom, you don't have to get so sassy. Be there in a few."

"Wow."

Shane hung up his phone and pocketed it, then turned to look at Paul. "What?"

"If I knew that all I had to do if I wanted something from you was to refer to you by your whole name, I would've started doing it years ago." Paul stated.

Shane blinked at him. "You look and sound nothing like my mother, so it definitely won't work for you."

"Awh, shucks..."

"Maybe you should meet up with your mom before she finds you and kills you." Shawn offered.

"Good idea. Be back in a bit."

* * *

By the time Shane got to the security office, Linda was pacing outside the door waiting for him.

"Hiya!"

Linda whirled around to face him. "What took you so long?!"

"Well, I was with D-X..."

"Figures."

"Mom... Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Something has to be wrong if you're snapping at me this much." Shane stated.

"Fine. Look inside the office, don't make a noise, and let me know if I have a reason to be angry."

Shane raised a confused eyebrow, then did as Linda told him. He closed the door, face twisting in anger and desperately tried to maintain his composure.

"What... The hell..?!"

"Shhhhhhhhh! Listen... Go gather everyone. D-X, Bret, Randy, Jay and your sister. Conference room in ten minutes. Snap, snap."

Shane stormed down the hall grumbling angrily to himself as he made his way around the arena. Really?! Tonight of all nights!? Why, after so much time of clearly not giving a damn? Shane looked down at his phone and sent a mass text to the six people Linda asked him to gather.

* * *

Everyone got to the conference room in no time at all, making Linda a very happy person. She cleared her throat as she looked around the room at everyone... She admired how each of them matured and grew over the last six months. She was pleased at how hard they were working to keep things running smoothly.

But she had to ruin their day, if only for a short period of time.

"I've asked Shane to gather you all here for an emergency meeting... Only very few of us are going to find out about this, so I need you to act as you normally would and get on with your schedules for tonight. Understood?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay..," Linda paused and walked over to the door and knocked on it once. "Let him in."

Everyone in the room, sans for Linda and Shane, were shocked as all living hell when none other than Vince McMahon walked into the room.

"Oh hell no." Paul growled.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Jay shouted.

"Language, Reso," Linda stated, making the man bow his head in a silent apology. "Now... Mr. McMahon dropped by today to see how things are going and to say something very important to each and every one of you."

"What if I don't want to hear anything he has to say?" Jay asked.

"Then you have my permission to excuse yourself and leave." Linda replied.

"Alright, then... I would like to..," Jay paused and looked around at everyone seated at the table. He sighed, then looked back at Linda. "Scratch that, Mrs. McMahon... I'm going to stay."

"Good to hear, Mr. Reso," Linda turned to look at Vince again. "The floor is yours, Mr. McMahon."

"You can call me 'Vince,' you know."

"I would rather refer to you as 'Mr. McMahon' in front of my employees."

Vince narrowed his eyes at Linda. "Right," He commented, then turned to look at the people sitting around the table. Paul, Shawn and Bret were seated to his left, Shane, Randy and Jay were seated to his right and Stephanie was sitting at the opposite end of the table. Paul was glaring at him with enough hatred for everyone in the arena, whereas everyone else either had their eyes cast down or were looking at the chairwoman for guidance. "I guess it's been awhile since you guys have seen me..."

"Six months is too short of a gap, if you ask me." Paul retorted.

"Well... I've changed in those six months."

"Yeah... Sure you have." Shane mumbled, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"People can change, you know. I'm here to apologize for the hell I put each and every one of you through last year. It was a stupid thing for me to do. I know I should have realized it then, but I didn't, and that made me damage my relationships with all of you. I know you're angry with me for not doing the right thing when it should have been done, but I'm truly sorry for what I did and I hope that, in time, each and every one of you can find it in your hearts to forgive me."

The room was silent for several long moments, save for Paul snapping his gum every so often. Suddenly, Shane stood up from his chair fast enough to knock it over.

"I don't believe a damn word that comes out of your mouth." He stated, then turned and started leaving the room.

"Don't you dare turn your back-"

"You don't understand, do you," Shane shouted as he whirled around to face his father once again. "You did more than ruin your relationships with everyone in this room. You proved to the world how much of an asshole you can be. And yeah, I know that's wrong for me to say. But... After what you did to me... I don't have it in my heart to even refer to you as my father anymore," Shane paused and watched Vince's face drop ever so slightly. He once again started heading for the door, then stopped and turned around. "You know... You were right about one thing... You didn't do the right thing. Not by a long shot. I don't care who you are. Sorry isn't good enough."

Nearly everyone in the room winced when Shane left and slammed the door behind him.

"Anyone else have anything to say? The floor is open." Vince stated, although it was unclear how certain he was of what he had just said.

"I think Shane pretty much covered it." Randy stated.

"Although he did forget to throw in a nice 'fuck you' for good measure." Jay commented.

"Mr. Reso!" Linda shouted.

"He said the floor was open, Mrs. McMahon. I apologize."

Linda tutted in annoyance, but said nothing.

"Nobody else wants to say anything?" Vince asked, clearly surprised.

"What the hell do you want us to say, exactly? I'm unclear of that right now... You should understand that none of us are interested in listening to your shitty excuses for your piss poor behavior last year! We don't care if you're sorry because six months of being away from the company taught you that you were wrong. You're the boss. You're supposed to know the difference between right and wrong from moment one, especially when it comes to the health and welfare of one of your employees. I guess the truth is we just aren't interested in hearing you, Vince."

"So I assume Bret and Shane are speaking for everyone?"

"Assume away, you're an ass no matter which way you look at it." Paul replied.

"Fine. I'll see all of you another time."

"Never is too soon!" Shawn shouted as the door was closing behind Vince.

It took a few moments for Shane to re-enter the room, pick up his chair and sit back down.

"Feel better?" Randy asked.

"No."

"Why would you make us sit through that, mom? You know how we feel about him being here." Stephanie stated.

Linda looked at everyone and shrugged her shoulders. "I know you guys don't want anything to do with him... But he wanted to come here and he wouldn't leave until he got to apologize to each and every one of you... Don't ask me why he suddenly took an interest in taking responsibility for his actions and apologizing for them..."

"Personally, I think it's because he thought we were going to accept his apology and welcome him back with open arms."

"Surely he's on drugs if he thinks such a thing is possible." Linda replied, making everyone chuckle.

"I don't know, mom. I mean... Why after all this time? The Board was pretty harsh when it came to taking everything away from him... Why bother coming here at all? They didn't give him permission." Shane stated.

"How about we do this," Everyone turned to look at Paul when he spoke. "We ignore what shit-for-brains wants to tell us and we continue doing things the way we've been doing them for the last six months?"

"That seems like the only logical answer to our current problem." Bret stated.

"Good, because I really hate thinking of things."

"I doubt the legitimacy of that."

Paul looked at Bret and narrowed his eyes. "Jerk."

"Bitch."

"Gentlemen," Paul and Bret turned to look at Linda, who was clearly trying to hide her amusement. "Okay... So... We made it through six months with the new standards and everyone working in different positions. I'd like to thank all of you for your hard work. It will not go unnoticed, believe me. Since everything is still running smoothly after six months, the upcoming months will run perfectly, as well. You're all dismissed from this meeting... Please get ready for the show."

Everyone got up and left the room. Bret, Stephanie, Jay and Randy walked down the hall, whereas Paul, Shawn and Shane hung around in the hallway.

"You two are up to something." Shane stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paul asked.

"I don't know... Something about the two of you... Seems like you're up to something."

"In what sense?" Shawn asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

"I don't need a 'sense' to clarify my concern right now... Believe me... You two are up to something, I just know it."

Paul and Shawn looked at one another, then back at Shane. "We put a gallon of paint..."

Before Paul could finish his sentence, a loud series of banging could be heard from a room down the hall. After a few moments of silence, a man emerged from the room covered in green and black paint.

"Goddamn D-X!"

* * *

**A/N: Annnnnnnd just like that... That's the end of Like Old Times. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read and review this story. I hope you enjoyed the nine year old adventure as much as I did!**

**I'll be taking time to edit this fic in the next couple of months, but this is most definitely the end of the road.**

**If you have any fic requests, please feel free to send them my way. I'm working on a couple of fics right now, but I'll most likely be done with two of them by mid-June. **

**I'm also always available to give advice for anything, so please don't hesitate to ask me anything!**

**Once again, thank you so much for your reviews and checking out this story in general. It means the world to me.**

**Also, if you're a fan of 'Dark Reflections,' you're going to be in for a real treat within the next twenty four hours. **


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